The House-Elf Liberation Front
by brb7659
Summary: It is 2002, nearly four years after the end of the Wizarding War. Hermione Granger believes her work for the Being Division will assist the Ministry in creating a fairer world for humans and creatures alike. But when she is forced to seek financial assistance from an unlikely source, will she be left with any of her principles intact?
1. Chapter 1

**1.**

 _1_ _st_ _January 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

Minister Shacklebolt, as always, was extremely lax about employees having to work on New Year's Day. For many this meant a great deal to them as they could spend an extra day at home, sitting with their families and not needing to worry about the number of interdepartmental memos awaiting them when they returned to their desks. At least not for another day. The War was still fresh enough in people's minds to make them realise how important it was to be with family and friends and not take anything for granted.

Hermione Granger, on the other hand, was no such person. When there were tasks at hand and work to be improved, she was there without fail and more often than not it resulted in her being forced to take holidays by her superiors.

'My dear,' Melinda, her boss, said as Hermione had protested taking yet another day off, 'You ought to take advantage of the rights that you have been given as a witch. What use are you going to be for House Elves if you won't even set the example of having some occasional time off for yourself?'

She had agreed grudgingly in the end and taken a couple of days off at Christmas time but that was more than enough. Great progress had been made in her department in the last couple of years and she wanted to continue along that positive path. How was she to do that sitting at the Burrow, regardless of how much she enjoyed the company?

Harry and Ron were still there, of course. The former wanted to spend as much time with Ginny as possible before she had to go back to Quidditch training. It was nothing Hermione hadn't expected, especially since he had proposed to her the previous year – besides work, they were inseparable. Ron (also to no surprise) just wanted another day off. He tried to be with his parents as often as he could, often feeling guilty at leaving them in that big house by themselves. After all, their children were scattered across the country: Bill lived with Fleur and little Victoire, Charlie was in and out of Romania, Percy had moved in with his own fiancé Audrey, George still lived in Diagon Alley (although now with the addition of Angelina Johnson, his girlfriend) and both Ron and Ginny were constantly away due to Auror duties and Harpies games, respectively. Fred's death was still a black cloud that hovered over the Weasley household, but the tragedy has nevertheless brought the family closer together than ever.

Hermione herself tried to be better at visiting her own family as well as the Weasleys, but her commitments at work sometimes prevented it being a priority.

Her parents were now back living at their old house, where she had enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner with them. She had noticed (quite happily) that Jean and Alexander Granger were getting back to their normal selves again. As soon as Hermione had found them in Australia and restored their memories, it had taken them quite a while to get used to the fact that they hadn't lived their own lives for a year. Her father in particular was absolutely furious with her, even though she had tried to explain it was for their own protection; however, that didn't really help her situation and her parents were horrified when she informed them of what she had been doing in their absence.

A number of arguments (and sleepless nights on Hermione's part) had resulted in them coming to a truce. Hermione had to swear to keep herself out of danger as much as possible, but if she did happen to find herself in some she would inform her parents and let them make their own decisions about how to deal with it.

Eventually – and probably due more to her mother's forgiving heart – their relationship became as it always had been before the War and they kept in contact with Hermione more frequently as a result. She even had introduced them to Harry and Ron on one occasion and her parents had taken to them immediately.

At that time, however, she had been dating Ron and was quite dismayed when they had asked her – almost as soon as the boys had left – why she wasn't with Harry instead.

Spluttering and choking on her words, Hermione had informed them most profusely that Harry was her best friend and she felt nothing but brotherly affection for him. Nonetheless, this was the first sign that her relationship with Ron was doomed to fail. It was only a few months later after all - almost a year ago now - that they decided to go their separate ways. After a wonderful few years together it was obvious they were too different to make it work and they still remained excellent friends.

And so, sitting in her little office on the fourth floor, it was Ron who was preoccupying her thoughts at this moment. He had chosen New Year's Eve to inform Hermione that he was officially dating Parvati Patil and although she had been rather shocked, she was happy for him nonetheless. The fact he had sought her out to ask if she was okay with it was sweet but also made her rather indignant. He had had a sort of conciliatory look on his face as he spoke, which had brushed Hermione up the wrong way. The drinks she had consumed, as she reminded herself, may have had something to do with it.

Needless to say, Ginny had ended up taking her inside and putting her to bed pretty early on during the celebrations, which was probably a good thing. It had meant no hangover for her this morning and saved her the embarrassment of having to face everyone else once she had sobered up.

Hermione slapped a hand to her forehead with a groan, as she realised she probably would have to speak to them all tomorrow. Most of all she wanted everyone to realise that just because she hadn't been dating whatsoever since Ron, it did not mean she was still pining over him. Last night's little escapade may have ruined that for her somewhat.

Shaking her head slightly, she put quill to parchment again and began rewriting the entire paragraph she had been working on.

Her most recent article was one she would be sending to the Daily Prophet and although it would be great publicity for the cause, she was slightly apprehensive as to how it would be taken by the wider public. The plight of House Elves, as she saw it, was not necessarily the way the rest of the Wizarding world viewed the issue at all. Her previous articles for various magazines and Wizarding journals had not been greatly reviewed.

But Hermione Granger was nothing if not persistent.

She and her colleagues had already been able to pass a law through the Wizengamot that forbade violence against House Elves and other 'beings' like them, which she considered one of the greatest achievements of her life. Of course, it may have just been passed due to her Order of Merlin, First Class as well as her amicable relationship with Minister Shacklebolt, but she liked to think she had provided a stellar argument as to why it should be approved.

There was small knock on the office door (which, she thought, was pretty pointless as she always kept it open) and her boss appeared, a giddy smile upon her face as she peeked in.

'Hermione, you have a visitor! Wouldn't usually disturb you, but …'

Melinda trailed off as another person came up behind, causing her to become even more flustered than before. Hermione rolled her eyes as she saw a familiar head of raven hair poking its way through the office door and she smiled kindly at her boss before turning to her best friend.

'Harry! Good to see you. Surprised you've been able to prise your hands off of your fiancé to make it into work today.'

Giving his friend a small hug, Harry chuckled but made no comment as they both sat down in the only two chairs in the room. Hermione noticed her boss had sneakily disappeared off, no doubt to boast to her husband – who worked in the Beast division down the hall – that she had just had another chat with Harry Potter. Turning her attention back to the man in question, she folded her hands upon the desks and crossed her legs as she surveyed him.

Harry began with, 'Well, you're looking decidedly better than you did last night, Hermione. Can't say I've ever seen drunk Ginny having to forcibly lift you up to your room before now. Is that a regular occurrence?'

Her only reply to this statement was a slight roll of her eyes and reddening of her cheeks. It was a well-known fact that Quidditch players had to keep extremely fit due to the intensity of the job, but Ginny had always been freakishly strong for her size without that. Hermione decided to ignore the question completely.

'To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? You never come through this way if you can help it. And even though I was joking before, it _is_ really unlike you to be in the Ministry on New Year's Day.'

Harry smiled a little before learning forward in his seat. This was a business call, then.

'There is a good reason, actually,' he replied, running a hand through his short, messy hair, 'It's actually to do with what we'd been discussing over the last few weeks. You know, your main goal for the department this year.'

Hermione's interest piqued even further. She knew he was referring to the fact that she had been planning to petition to the Minister about finding a benefactor for her cause, someone who she could count upon to fund any events or drives which she may organise in the near future. Not many people had taken a massive amount of interest in what she wanted to achieve in the next year or so, thus she had taken her issue to Harry just before the holidays. Although he reprimanded her a little for planning ahead into 2002 already, he had agreed to have a float around the Ministry and take note of anyone who could be useful to her. Hermione, although very popular throughout the Wizarding World, had nothing like Harry's influence and she knew he would help her in any way he could.

She also didn't have the salary to fund any of these things herself. She doubted the monthly salaries of _all_ the people working in this department would be of any help, to be honest. Hermione needed something more than just writing articles and posting the odd letter to people's houses. She needed more coverage, more exposure. She needed more connections and more contacts throughout the Wizarding world (and possibly abroad if she could wangle it). She also needed to have contact with more House Elves in order to gauge what their reaction would be should she be able to get the support for the next act.

 _Well hopefully they would take it better than Kreacher,_ she thought, picturing the old elf's confounded face when she had asked him his opinion on what she had written already. Hermione knew that her friend was trying to keep Kreacher as happy as possible, but she was still annoyed that he hadn't been able to persuade his House Elf to take any form of compensation for his work.

'You've had some interest?' she asked him, leaning forward as well and daring to hope she would get the answer she was looking for.

'I've had quite a bit of interest,' Harry confirmed, folding his arms and scowling slightly, 'Though not all of it was anything to do with the House Elf legislation and more the fact that they would get to work with _the_ Hermione Granger. Some of them seemed to believe you'd make an excellent wife as opposed to a brilliant co-worker.'

Hermione laughed awkwardly at Harry, whose face was like thunder and was quite obviously biting his tongue so as to keep himself from spewing profanities. She didn't need to know – she had had enough of that nonsense over the last two and half years and knew how to deal with it.

'Well, moving swiftly on,' she continued, 'You must have found someone who had more interest in the legislation, otherwise you wouldn't be here. So … who was it?'

'Oh, right,' Harry replied, rubbing the back of his neck, 'Well, that's where we hit a little snag.'

Hermione's bemused look was not lost on him and before she could interrupt he carried on.

'Not with the work, you'll understand, but I'm just not entirely sure you're going to be comfortable with who was interested.'

Hermione snorted. 'Yeah, because the rest of them sounded like excellent prospects. Come on, Harry, just spit it out. It can't be that bad.'

'Okay, well, believe it or not,' he said, sighing a little and preparing himself as if she was about to burst any second, 'It's the Malfoys.'


	2. Chapter 2

2.

 _1_ _st_ _January 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Second Study._

Draco Malfoy and his father sat in the first floor study of their home, on opposite sides of a desk and in complete silence. Their owl had left almost an hour ago and – in a manner unusual for them both – they were restless. Both faces were still masks of composure and yet there was a slight jiggle in Draco's left foot, which was crossed over his right and Lucius Malfoy was tapping his quill incessantly on the surface upon which his right arm rested.

Both of them were staring out of the window and nothing broke the silence whatsoever. Had anyone else been a spectator of this scene, it would have been unnerving.

The older man cleared his throat slightly, but did not turn his head as he addressed his son.

'I still don't completely understand why you think this is necessary, Draco.'

The younger man had to refrain from rolling his eyes so obviously, as despite what many people thought, he still had a little respect for his father.

'I've told you plenty of times,' he drawled in reply, not moving an inch from the position in which he sat, 'We need to rebuild our standing in society. You've said so yourself. We may still have plenty of money to use for this purpose, thank Merlin, but due to the … _incident_ we now have no respectable connections left.'

He sniffed a little at his words, as if in disgust, and his father's eyes flashed in indignation but Draco ploughed on nonetheless.

'I believe it will greatly advantage the family to side with the Granger girl on this matter. The Wizarding world has already begun to change and we must accept this whether we like it or not. The old beliefs mean nothing anymore. We can at least use things to our advantage in some way and gain back some of the respect that the Malfoy family has demanded for centuries. Who will question our loyalties any more should it become public knowledge that we are associating with Muggleborns – if not _the_ Muggleborn – and contributing to a cause which we once despised. It makes perfect sense.'

Lucius Malfoy looked as if he wanted to say otherwise due to the look on his face, but he said nothing.

They still kept House Elves. His wife in particular would not give them up for anything. But the idea of giving them holidays? Allowing them benefits? _Paying them_? It sounded like absolute nonsense to him. The law that had already been passed hadn't been much of an inconvenience as he didn't punish the servants any more. He had had that urge knocked out of him after the War.

He gave an involuntary shiver, but hid it from his son well. Lucius sometimes still felt _him_ in this house at times, as ridiculous as it sounded.

He was most certainly dead – Lucius saw it himself very clearly – but _he_ had been in residence here for such a long period of time he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get rid of the feeling like he was being scrutinised. Like someone was watching his every move.

He _hated_ this place now. He had thought perhaps that after a few months the horrible feeling he felt as soon as he walked into the Manor would fade. But it had now been almost four years and he still couldn't stand the sight of any of it. Narcissa seemed to be of a similar mind, not that they would ever confess this. In fact, they barely spoke two words to each other anymore.

Lucius was constantly locked up in his study or out in society, trying to establish some sort of connection with the new Ministry. She on the other hand pottered about the house, or visited friends, or went abroad to spend time with relatives. Lucius wasn't even sure right now if she _was_ in the house. It may have been disconcerting for his son to see his mother and father so oblivious to one another's presence, but both Lucius and Narcissa knew that this was the way things would be from now on.

The love they had once had, had fizzled almost to nothing. Ironically, that affection for one another had been snuffed out as the War had ended. Lucius sometimes mused to himself that perhaps the only reason Narcissa had stayed with him during that horrible period was for Draco's sake. On some of his darker days he was absolutely convinced that given the opportunity, she would have taken their son and left him to waste. For some reason, the thought didn't disturb him as much as it should have.

Nonetheless, they kept what little was left of their relationship civil and 'normal' for their son. They understood that he wasn't stupid and saw the signs as the months went by. But the Malfoy family weren't exactly known for discussing their deepest, darkest feelings with one another.

A small slam of a door from downstairs woke Lucius and Draco from their personal reveries and they looked at one another for a fraction of a second.

'Where is your mother?' Lucius asked lightly, not looking his boy in the face as he did so.

Draco shrugged, barely noticeably.

'No idea. In the gardens I would imagine.'

It's where she always was whenever she was actually at home. Like Lucius reminded himself, she hated it here just as much as he did.

'Do you think that she – Granger, I mean – knows what she's doing?' Draco asked suddenly, now turning to face his father completely with his elbows resting on his knees, 'I mean, she doesn't really know our customs or how the Pureblood community functions. How does she expect anyone to give her work any credit when she doesn't have enough knowledge of our history?'

It was Lucius's turn to surreptitiously roll his eyes.

'If there's one thing I will not do, it is to underestimate the little chit. Her or Potter. It's not exactly gotten us very far in the past, has it?'

Draco's smirk was almost indiscernible, but his father knew him too well. Matching his son's facial expression, he returned to staring out of the window again.

Even though he had hated the War and everything his family had been put through, for some of that time at least he had had a purpose. He had felt needed and respected. Lucius Malfoy had been part of something bigger than himself.

Now he felt nothing at all. For anyone he met or anything he once knew.

He felt useless.

He felt trapped.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

 _2nd January 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Kitchen._

It was six o'clock in the morning.

Hermione was used to getting up early. She had always been that way ever since school. Except now she needed at least two cups of coffee to keep her going.

This morning, however, she had woken of her own accord.

Her mind had been scrambled ever since she had received the news from Harry yesterday and it hadn't stopped whirring even as she climbed into bed last night. Nothing had thrown her as much as this in the last three years and she wasn't completely sure of what to do with herself.

Now she sat alone in her pyjamas at the Weasley's kitchen table, coffee in hand but barely lifting it to her lips. She was reminiscing on the details of yesterday afternoon, replaying it all in her mind like a movie reel.

Hermione had continued to stare at her best friend in complete shock, even if five minutes had passed since he had announced the name of the family willing to help her. She hadn't completely come to terms with what she had heard and Harry had been waiting for the outburst he expected. Suddenly, she had let out a small sigh.

'Well, I definitely didn't see that coming,' she had said, almost to herself as opposed to Harry. She then looked up from her desk, lips pursed together in a manner much like Professor McGonagall.

'Are you sure there hasn't been some sort of mistake, Harry? A misunderstanding, maybe? Because honestly … I can't actually wrap my head around the fact that the ex-Death Eater, House Elf-owning, Pureblood, _Malfoy_ family would want anything to do with me except see me to an early grave.'

Harry had let out a low laugh in response, sitting back in his chair and looking a little more at ease.

'I swear to you Hermione, I'm being completely honest. I might have suspected so myself had I not received an owl from them not one hour ago confirming that they would be willing to take on the project.'

She had sat in stunned silence once more. They had not only agreed to fund her new project for the benefit of House Elves but they had contacted Harry directly? What on earth was happening?

'I know,' Harry had said, nodding his head in acknowledgment of her shock, 'It's definitely them, though. You couldn't mistake their pretentious tone for anyone else unfortunately, even in a letter. It was also sent on behalf of the _whole_ Malfoy family, which surprised me most. Draco? Yeah, I might have believed it. He's a bit better now than he was four years ago. But Lucius and Narcissa? He must have some sort of hold over his parents in order to get them to agree to this. As far as I'm aware, neither of his parents have made a particular effort to show their support for the new direction the Ministry is taking whatsoever.'

Hermione had contemplated his words very carefully and found herself agreeing with them.

She had seen Draco Malfoy rarely and only if he was in the Ministry for reasons of business. He didn't actually do any work there but made an effort to associate himself with those worth associating with. A lot of the time he came with his father. His mother she hadn't seen since the aftermath of the final battle.

Taking a sip of her now lukewarm coffee, she thought back to the last time she had actually seen any of them at all.

Hermione had been making her way hurriedly towards Shacklebolt's office – or the Minister, as she should call him - when she noticed that there was already a queue.

The Malfoys, father and son, were sitting outside his door and she noticed, with no small amount of pleasure, that they had looked uncomfortable where they were sat: right next to Kingsley's receptionist, who happened to be a werewolf. Her condition was much like Bill's was, yet it didn't seem prudent to announce it to the entire Ministry so very few people actually knew about it. Well, the Malfoys obviously did. She could also tell by the haughty looks on their faces that they were not used to being made to wait like commoners out in the hallway.

As she approached, it was Lucius that had noticed her first. She tried desperately not to make eye contact with him but it wasn't exactly possible in such a small vicinity. His face made no outward sign of acknowledging her presence bar the quick once over he gave her, but she did notice that he sat a little straighter the closer she got. To anyone else it may have looked like he was doing so in order to look more impressive; she knew better. That family only did anything to assert more authority over people.

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, it was only then that Draco noticed her too and – much like his father – his facial expression did not change, but he did throw a small nod her way in greeting. She returned it with a smile and stood as far away as was humanly possible from them.

She remembered feeling the heat rising in her cheeks as she had realised that Lucius was still watching her. Clearing her throat and shuffling the papers she held in her arms, it took all of her will power to not stare back at him. Just as she was about to give in, the door behind them all suddenly swung open and Kingsley strode out of his office, looking straight to the Malfoys.

They had both stood up in sync, expecting to be taken into his office almost instantly to begin their meeting. But Kingsley saw Hermione hovering nearby first and waved to her merrily.

'Afternoon, Hermione. I won't be too long with Lucius and Draco and we'll get to business. I've got some ideas to run by you, if you wouldn't mind.'

'Of course not, Minister,' Hermione had replied, smiling at him widely, 'I'll just wait out here, shall I?'

'That's fine, Hermione. I'll see you in a few minutes.'

And with that they had disappeared inside. Hermione had sighed, thinking of how long she was going to be kept waiting by those two. They weren't exactly easy to talk to.

Yet just as she had taken one of the seats that they had vacated, the door swung open again with a crash and Draco stormed out, not even giving Hermione a backward glance as he had thundered down the corridor towards the elevators. Both Hermione and the receptionist felt there was no point in hiding their surprise and they sat with their mouths hanging open watching the man as he stalked off without so much as a goodbye to the Minister.

She had almost forgotten that his father was still near the door and Hermione quickly closed her mouth, her cheeks flushing as she realised Lucius had glanced her way again before making his final comment to Kingsley.

'I wouldn't worry about my son, Minister. He's unused to things not going his way … as am I.'

With a small bow he had then departed the office, striding down the corridor with a little more grace than his son had not ten seconds ago. Hermione had unconsciously stood as he left, still holding her papers in her arms but her mind whizzing as to the cause of Draco's upset. It was Kingsley that reminded her of where she was and after a quick glance at the elevators again she had accompanied him to his office to discuss plans for the new laws.

That had been almost a year ago. Hermione couldn't actually believe it had been that long because – whether she liked it or not – the Malfoy family had always been a strong presence throughout her school years and afterwards. The fact that some Death Eaters were still on the loose and some still awaiting trial had obviously not boded well for the Malfoy family, just as much as it had her own.

Perhaps they were in as much danger of retaliation from their own comrades as Harry was …

'Hermione?'

Her coffee almost went flying all over the table as she jumped in shock, not even realising that there was another person in the kitchen other than herself.

Ron stood behind her with a small smile on his face but looking a little sheepish all the same in his pyjamas. He took the seat next to hers as she caught her breath and chuckled.

'Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you … should have known you were deep in thought. Could practically hear the cogs working overtime in there.'

Hermione couldn't help but smile back at her friend, her cheeks a little red.

'It's okay,' she replied, 'I was … well. Let's just say I've had a lot on my mind lately, that's all.'

Ron's smile faltered slightly as he took in her expression and in a rather thoughtless move, he grasped her hand with his own and began stammering before she could stop him.

'Hermione, _please_ let me tell you it was never how … well, I hadn't … I never, _ever_ meant to hurt your feelings, I swear. It just felt like the right time to tell you about us and I didn't want to keep _any_ secrets from you because you are still my best friend, even with what we've been through together and I know that's not much of an apology but honestly I never – _oomph!_ '

His sentence was cut short as Hermione threw herself at Ron, hugging him tightly and not caring about the fact that her coffee mug had turned over and was now spilling all over the floor. Trying desperately not to show how emotional she felt, she interrupted him.

'Oh, bloody hell Ron. I wasn't really mad at you, I could _never_ be mad at you. I'm putting my completely irrational behaviour down to one too many drinks and a need to take my frustration from work out on someone, which was horribly unfair of me. I'm the one who should be sorry. And let me tell you now I am so, so happy for you and Parvati. Honestly. She's a wonderful person and let's be honest, she makes a lot more sense than I ever did.'

Ron laughed a little but didn't let go as she clung to him.

'I guess so,' he replied, ignoring the crick in his back as he spoke, 'I just don't want to lose you, Hermione. You've always been here and I want to keep it that way, no matter what happens. Promise me we'll always have each other, right? You, me and Harry. We'll always have each other, won't we?'

'Of course we will, Ron,' she whispered, as a lone tear rolled down her cheek, 'I promise we will always have each other.'


	4. Chapter 4

4.

 _2_ _nd_ _January 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

Lucius and Draco Malfoy felt very uncomfortable indeed.

It had occurred to them (as soon as they had been offered a seat by some bumbling receptionist) that they had never been in this part of the Ministry before. The welfare of magical creatures and beings hadn't really been top of their priority list whenever they needed to be here, which is probably why they had no idea as to _why_ they were here in the first place.

Lucius in particular didn't understand. Granger's letter had arrived last night, short and sweet, instructing the family to meet her in her office at 9am sharp the next again morning. To say they were shocked was an understatement.

What was the need to actually _meet_ with Granger? He was under the impression that they were just chucking money towards her idiotic House Elf campaign to get them back into the Ministry's good books. What could they possibly need to go over that couldn't have been done via owl? He had half a mind this morning not to bother coming at all but had quailed under one look from Draco after he had suggested it. Narcissa had wormed her way out of this by leaving for her cousins the previous night and, most conveniently, hadn't bothered to tell her husband or son.

Despite their reluctance to be here, however, they were both dressed with precision in their usual black attire and looked like carbon copies of one another from head to toe.

That was the first thing Hermione had noticed as she stepped out of her office to observe the two men. Two men with whom she would be spending a considerable amount of time with if she wanted this project to succeed. Unconsciously, she smoothed down the front of her pencil skirt and straightened her robes. She felt the need to look even more business-like than usual.

The second thing she noticed was that Narcissa Malfoy was not here. Very interesting.

Steeling herself and with her head held high, Hermione cleared her throat lightly and watched as father and son both stood to attention.

'Mr Malfoy … Draco,' she said, with much difficulty on the latter's name, 'How lovely to see you both. If you would follow me, please.'

She didn't bother to hold out her hand for them to shake. It was bad enough forcing herself to say _Draco_ , she didn't even want to think about how _they_ would react to shaking hands with a Mudblood.

They followed her silently into the office and she closed the door behind them. She had made sure to procure an extra chair for their first meeting. Her office was small, but she didn't mind in the slightest and she had made it very comfortable for herself. It felt homely.

The Malfoys didn't seem to know where to look as they sat down, so they took to admiring – well, more like scrutinising - the potted plant that Hermione had placed in the corner and the bookcase which she kept stacked at all times behind her desk. She tried to smile at them both, but she was almost certain it came out as more of a grimace. _Bloody hell._ She cleared her throat again.

'I have to thank you for coming in at such short notice. I wasn't sure whether it would be acceptable to you or not, but here you are.'

Obviously they didn't think this comment required a response. Both men looked at her with that same reserved look which the Malfoy family seemed to carry at all times and gave no emotion away whatsoever. Hermione could not possibly feel any more unnerved than she did now. Draco quite obviously felt the tension within the room as well and without moving a muscle he began to speak.

'It wasn't a problem. We are, after all, going to be working with one another.'

Hermione nodded her head and let out a small breath. Draco's minor but effective speech made her feel a little less awkward. Not that his father had done anything to help. He still sat and simply stared at her, looking ridiculously like a statue. She tried to ignore him and sat forward in her chair, crossing her legs and folding her hands in front of her. Her usual stance.

'Yes, we are. Something else I have to thank you for. I will not pry into the reasons as to why you chose to assist me, but let me tell you my job hasn't been easy. I'm surprised at the number of people who don't believe our cause is worthwhile.'

She could have sworn Lucius's mouth twitched, as if he were about to smirk at her. Once again, he was ignored.

'I just wanted to have this first little meeting to discuss what it is I actually intend to do. I need your help because the campaign needs … how will I say it … a little _boost._ You'll be pleased to know, I am sure, that you do not have to involve yourself with any of the research. The hard work behind the scenes will still be left to me.'

'Oh, how very kind of you, Miss Granger.'

Lucius and the sarcastic drawl that interrupted her sounded exactly the same as it had the last time she had heard it. Behind a Death Eater's mask. Trying not to think of that right now, she looked directly at him as he continued to speak and Hermione could not fail to notice the flash of irritation in his eyes.

'My son and I would not _dare_ to disrupt the significant inner workings of this department. Our ignorance of these matters would be nothing but a hindrance to you, _I am sure_.'

The heat rose in her cheeks even as she fought it. But before she could even think about retaliating, Draco had given Lucius a warning look before speaking himself.

'What my father means to say Granger is that we have absolutely no issue with that, whatsoever. We will assist you in any way we can.'

His father's hands tightened on the arms of the chair but he had gone back to the look of reserve he always had. Hermione felt it was prudent not to make any more comments like that, as she had clearly pushed some buttons that would not be of any help to her.

'Yes, thank you,' she replied to Draco, 'As I was saying, I would really like to bring the campaign to a bigger audience. Before now people have only been reading our work in various newspaper articles or journals, which, I will freely admit, means that the majority of the Wizarding population have no idea of what we're trying to achieve here.'

For the second time in less than five minutes, Hermione was interrupted.

'And, pray tell, what _are_ you trying to achieve with this campaign, Miss Granger? I would be most grateful if you could enlighten us.'

Keeping her temper at bay was proving a difficult task, but Hermione had to prove to them – and most of all to herself – that she was an adult. She would not be baited by petty remarks.

' _We,_ as in, my department, want to wipe out the laws of old which restrict magical beasts and beings from receiving the same rights as we have. Making them equal to wizards. We also want to create new laws to give every creature the best possible chance in life, no matter what they are. That is the short version.

'Where you come in is quite simple. Harry might have given some explanation in his correspondence with you. We are in desperate need of funds to help go towards events, perhaps with just Ministry employees at first that will spread the word of our work and try to reason with as many people as possible as to why this change will be beneficial for all.'

Hermione stopped for a second, looking at them both very seriously before continuing.

'I am not naïve. I know there are plenty of people out there who will find our ideas ludicrous. I hope you'll forgive me for saying this but I had thought that you would be some of those very people. I have been happily proven wrong. Your help would be of the greatest value to my colleagues and particularly to myself as long as you are willing to support the cause and assist us … financially.'

She was trying desperately not to grimace again. There was no easy way to ask people for money, but Hermione was sure it had been made clear to the Malfoy's that that, primarily, was what they were there for.

Draco had a small smirk on his face as she spoke. His father wasn't even looking at her anymore and left it to his son to reply.

'Yes, yes, Granger, we are well aware you need the bloody money. Why else would we be here? Our blossoming friendships with House Elves?'

Hermione chuckled, once again feeling a bit more at ease. Harry was right – Draco was ten times better than what he used to be. He hadn't exactly been nice to her, but he _was_ being cooperative and at least paid attention to what she was saying.

'Well, I know that may not be the case, but I would most appreciate it if you would try to see this campaign from my point of view and support it just as much. It's very important for the Ministry at this time to see change happening and what better department to lead the way than us. It would … mean a lot, if you could try.'

Draco's smirk faded a little and he gave her a small nod in agreement, looking resolute. Hermione smiled at him properly - the first real smile she had ever given to Draco Malfoy. It was disconcerting and yet made her feel infinitely better at the same time.

They both then looked to the silent figure sitting next to them. Hermione felt certain he wasn't going to bother to respond. Draco apparently didn't either, as he made sure to glare at his father rather viciously to get the point across. Just as she went to open her mouth, however, she was once again surprised.

'Yes, yes, very well. We would be happy to help.'

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement, feeling that this meeting was going a lot better than she thought it would.

'Wonderful,' she breathed, visibly relaxing, 'I appreciate it. Well, that's all I really wanted to speak about today. I was hoping we could organise some sort of fundraiser for within the next couple of months, if that's alright with you? Perhaps around March time? There are no particular holidays we need to work around then and it would give the employees something to look forward to. I'll speak to the Minister and see if we can organise a free bar and some other entertainment, that way we can entice as many people as possible to come.'

'Bribery, Granger?' the younger Malfoy said, leaning back in his chair and quite obviously amused, 'Didn't know you had it in you. But my father and I can deal with all that. We weren't sorted into Slytherin for no reason, you know.'

'Of course,' Hermione laughed, pulling her diary out of the top drawer of her desk, 'Well we could organise another meeting in a few weeks to go over the particulars but it might be helpful to set a date now. Get the ball rolling, so to speak. Perhaps the 16th of March? It's a Saturday in the middle of the month and it's just far away enough from Easter as well so that it won't clash. I'm sure Minister Shacklebolt would approve. Would that be agreeable to you?'

'Don't see why not. I can speak to Mother about the planning, she's good with that sort of thing.'

Lucius still hadn't said anything and it was starting to make Hermione feel uncomfortable again. She had to end this meeting now before it got any worse. Therefore, after placing her diary back in her desk, she rose from her seat and looked to the Malfoys.

'Once again, thank you very much for coming in. I am glad we will see eye-to-eye on things. If you go to the front desk near the lifts you'll find someone who can talk you through the contract … nothing serious obviously, just confidentiality and that sort of thing.'

The men had now stood as well as they made their way out the door and they stopped to take their leave of her. Hesitantly, she put her hand out for the younger Malfoy to shake and although he looked a little surprised, he took it nonetheless and gave a small bow of the head.

'Until next time, Granger. Just send us an owl and we'll let you know if we're free for another meeting.'

'Yes, thank you, I will. Give my regards to your mother too,' she replied, finally moving to the elder Malfoy who stood stiffly at his son's side. Hermione began to hesitate even more.

The images flashing in her head wouldn't go away as she looked into Lucius Malfoy's eyes. The same cold, unforgiving grey eyes that had been present in many of her nightmares. She may have been stronger now, no longer a young girl … and yet she could not help but feel like a small child waiting for approval from a grown up as she stood before him. She hated it.

Suddenly, she felt someone grasping her right hand with their own. Coming back to her senses, she realised that Lucius Malfoy had taken it upon himself to say goodbye before she could.

Hermione seized up in shock as he didn't give her a handshake, but instead rose her hand up towards his face and bowed over it. He didn't kiss it for which she was extremely thankful. But it was still more than she had ever expected from a man like him.

His low voice rumbled through her as, without taking his eyes off hers, he uttered: 'Good day, Miss Granger.'

And then he was gone.

Hermione wasn't really sure how long it took her to regain her wits. She could have been standing there for twenty minutes as far as she knew, but her mind was trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

Draco's politeness. His support. His behaviour towards his father.

And on the opposite end of the scale, the way Lucius Malfoy had reacted to her suggesting they wouldn't be doing any hard work. The way he seemed completely disinterested through the whole meeting and yet how his eyes had penetrated hers at every opportunity. His impertinence. His cold manner … his warm goodbye.

Not knowing where to look, Hermione wheeled around back into her office and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it for support without even realising.

If this was how half an hour with the Malfoys was going to make her feel, how on earth was she going to survive this partnership at all?

'Shit.'


	5. Chapter 5

5.

 _2_ _nd_ _January 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. The Foyer._

Arriving with a _pop_ inside the porch, Draco Malfoy took off his jacket immediately and threw it towards the nearest House Elf (who almost toppled over trying to catch it). He barely noticed as he strode through the main hallway towards his father's study, not even bothering to look behind him to see if the man was following. He would be.

He flung open the door and marched straight to the liquor cabinet, pulling out the first bottle of whiskey he could find.

'Half past nine in the pissing morning and I already need a drink,' he muttered to himself, pouring a considerable glass for his father as well before turning to take a seat.

Lucius was already behind the desk, smiling lightly at his son. Draco would have thought he was simply in a friendly mood had it not been for warning look all over the rest of his features. He didn't even acknowledge it and handed the tumbler to his father without a word.

After downing his own glass in one and setting it down on the table, he decided to strike.

'What the bloody hell was that all about?'

The silence in the room was tangible. Once again, not another sound was heard throughout the house except for the hard wind that could be heard outside. It was extremely chilly out today. Leisurely taking a sip of his own whiskey, Lucius didn't even look at his son before he placed the glass on the table and sat back in his chair.

'There's no need for profanity, Draco. It's not even ten o'clock in the morning.'

He deigned to make no other answer.

'Seriously?' his son replied, his voice becoming more irritated by the second, 'I expected you, father, to adhere to what was agreed when we left here this morning. _I_ was to do all the talking, as you had made it perfectly clear yourself that you wanted no part in this House Elf business in the first place. I was more than happy to butter Granger up, get on her good side. It's why we agreed to do this. And then _you_ had to get her flustered and thoroughly irritated throughout the entire meeting to the point where she couldn't even think straight and then to top it all off you practically bloody well kissed her hand as we left!'

By this point, Draco's emotions were evident on his face, but his father still paid them no mind. He simply continued to take small sips of his drink every now and then, listening to the harsh winds outside and staring into space.

'Still prefer the Scotch whiskey to this ghastly stuff.'

'Father, _will you be serious_!' Draco interrupted, standing from his chair and grabbing his glass in order to pour another drink.

'I am being perfectly serious, Draco. You didn't look far enough into the back of the cabinet. That's where I keep the best of it.'

His son was clearly refraining from throwing the glass at his father's head by this point, which amused Lucius immensely.

'Come now,' he commented, a small smirk on his face, 'I was simply having a little fun. It's not very often we get to meet with such a witch as Miss Granger and I made the most of it. You have to admit that the way she bristled every time I made a comment was most invigorating.'

Downing his drink once again, Draco didn't bother to sit back down at the desk this time. He simply turned to roll his eyes at his father.

'Honestly, you would think we were a couple of schoolyard boys pulling on her pigtails to make her cry,' he commented dryly, ignoring his father's chuckle, 'Is that really the reason why you riled her up? For a laugh?'

'What else would I be doing it for, Draco?' Lucius asked, still looking completely composed, 'Insinuating that I was "pulling her pigtails" would almost suggest that I like the woman, which I can tell you now I most assuredly do not. She is arrogant. She is naïve. She is utterly outrageous and she is, of course, still a Mud-'

' _That's enough_.'

Draco had quite clearly had his fill. Lucius, however, felt himself becoming irritated by his son's manner.

'I hope you're not forgetting who the master of this house is, son. Regardless of the circumstances. I am still your father and you will not speak to me in such a way.'

His tone was becoming dangerous and the alcohol they had both just ingested at such an early hour was unlikely to make their moods any better. Draco took the hint and drained his glass for the last time, before bowing mockingly to his father and leaving the room without even bothering to close the door.

Lucius tutted in annoyance, pulling out his wand to send Draco's glass to the kitchen to be cleaned. He was always such a messy boy.

'Yes, he was,' a voice at the door replied and Lucius flinched when he realised he had said it out loud.

His wife stood at the door in all her glory. Like himself and his son she was pristine, her clothes immaculate and her face the picture of aloofness. She was the epitome of a Pureblood woman. Exactly as they ought to be. He had once thought that too. Lucius noticed his wife looked even paler than usual and tried to remember the last time he had actually seen her even remotely happy.

'Ah, Narcissa, how lovely of you to make an appearance,' he drawled, taking some parchment and a quill from his drawer, 'I see you made it back from your cousin's rather swiftly. What a coincidence that we have just returned from our meeting.'

Narcissa didn't bother to lie to him.

'You know I have absolutely no interest in what that girl is planning for that pointless department. What need have I to go to some dull, dreary meeting when you and Draco are perfectly capable of representing the family yourselves.'

Lucius chuckled without humour in his tone.

'Yes, of course, because you are kept _so_ busy otherwise. What are your plans for the day, my dear? Locking yourself up in your room again? Or is there a third cousin, twice-removed whom you haven't managed to squeeze into your busy schedule?'

His wife clearly stiffened at that remark though she did her very best to hide it.

'You know very well there isn't much I can do anymore these days, _husband._ Certain privileges have been taken from me as of late and I am unwelcome in certain society. What else does a pureblood wife do with her time? My son has grown. He has a charming pureblood girlfriend who dotes upon him so I no longer have any purpose to fulfil except my own. I may do as I please.'

'That's all very well and good of course, my dutiful wife, except we have seen neither hide nor hair of you in the past few weeks and it has been left to my son and I to try and rebuild the reputation of this family again.'

'And whose fault is that?' Narcissa retaliated, quick as a flash, 'Had it not been for that cause that you were so ingrained within we would not be in such a situation. Almost four years since its end and yet I still cannot see what we have benefited from any of it.'

'We have our lives. We have our son. We have our home. What more do you possibly want, Narcissa?

'Don't patronise me, Lucius, you know as well as I do this house stopped being a home five years ago. I know you feel the same way about it as I do. It would have been burnt to the ground had I had my way.'

'Well thank Merlin you didn't get your way,' he responded sharply, the anger becoming ever more prominent on his usually blank face, 'This house is still a mastery of architecture. A family heirloom. Don't speak of things that you have no understanding of.'

Narcissa's eyes were like daggers and her husband could not look at them. Out of fear for the hatred he would see and out of pride so that she could not see the hatred in his. He held his quill even tighter in his hand, feeling it crack beneath his fingers.

'You don't think that I _know_ what I was getting myself into when I joined this family?' she spat at him, 'Like I had a choice in the matter anyway. I know exactly what you are about. You place more pride in heirlooms than you do anything else because it's all about _reputation_ for you. And that is how you will always be.

'I, however, will not. The world has changed. _Our_ world has changed. And I will be damned if I will let you drag me down the same path as you did before.'

'Oh, don't let me stop you,' Lucius replied, seething and with venom in his voice, as he rose from his seat and stalked over to where his wife stood, 'I've done perfectly well without you for the last three and half years, so I'm sure I can continue it admirably.'

And with that he slammed the door in her face and locked it with his wand, trying to stop himself from breaking every single possession within the room out of spite and anger towards his ungrateful wife.

He could tell she was still standing outside, could practically feel the hatred emanating from her being and yet she still didn't move. Much like him she was possibly in shock at how that argument had escalated so quickly. They never argued. They didn't even speak and that was how they liked it.

Her words stung him, as much as he didn't want to admit it. His guilt over what his wife and son had gone through in this very house was something he would never get over or forgive himself for. Did she not think those thoughts flew through his mind every second of every day? Was she so stupid as to think he did not care what had happened? No, she could not be that idiotic.

He could not excuse her for throwing it in his face in the heat of a quarrel. She was acting as if it was going to happen again, like he was going to place his own ambition before the lives of his family once more.

That wasn't true. It couldn't be.

Lucius threw himself back down on the chair behind his desk and tried to regulate his breathing.

Narcissa was gone now. He knew she was.

But this time he wasn't sure if she was ever coming back.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

 _5_ _th_ _January 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London._

Hermione woke to the sound of voices drifting up from the kitchen downstairs. It was a Saturday, so not surprising, but it was unusual for anyone to be up this early. Harry and Ron were well known for sleeping in on the weekends whenever they were off.

After her usual morning routine of a quick wash and change of clothes, she made her way downstairs where the smell of coffee brought her to her senses. It was wonderful. And once again she thought that someone other than Harry and Ron must be here as they didn't even know _how_ to make fresh coffee as far as she was aware.

Opening the door to the kitchen, she was greeted by the sight of her best friends sitting around the large table, enjoying their simple breakfast of pancakes and seemingly in the middle of a Quidditch conversation. Hermione could feel her mind shutting off already. Ginny looked very heated about something, whilst Harry was the only one listening intently. George and Ron simply looked irritated.

'Morning everyone,' she commented, walking straight to the pot of fresh coffee and pouring herself a cup.

'Morning, Granger,' George replied, standing up to give her a quick hug, 'Long time, no see. I'd almost think you were avoiding us all after that brilliant meltdown you had on Monday.'

'Oh, ha, bloody, ha. I've already spoken to Ron about it which is all that matters. From what I can remember, George Weasley, you were too busy eating your girlfriend's face to pay much attention to my _meltdown._ '

'Ah, ah, ah. Shows how much you know, love. I wouldn't pass up an opportunity to take the almighty piss out of you for the next ten years so Angelina had to wait for a while.'

'That poor girl, I bet she was ecstatic to get away,' Hermione teased back, ducking as he made to swat her over the head. The other three were paying attention by this point, all of them now finished what Hermione had thought was a simple breakfast. She had failed to notice the bacon, sausage and egg that had been left for her, as well as the remainder of the pancakes.

'Don't know what you lot would do without me and Ginny sometimes. It's a good thing she doesn't go back to training until Monday,' Hermione remarked, laughing at the mock outrage on the faces of Harry, Ron and George while Ginny sniggered.

'How dare you,' Harry said, hand over his chest in a wounded manner, 'You break my heart, Hermione. How did you know it wasn't one of us that made this?'

'Well, for one, Ron can't make fried eggs to save his life so these would be scrambled by now,' she retorted, trying not to laugh at her friend as he sat in moody silence at her words, 'George has the attention span of a two year-old so the bacon and sausage would be burnt to a crisp. And _you,_ my dear Harry - as much as you may have slaved at the Dursley's - have never made pancakes before as you have been fed by either Mrs. Weasley, Ginny or Kreacher since you were seventeen years old. So that's how I know.'

Ginny was shaking with laughter at this point at the petulant looks on the men's faces and Hermione tucked into her breakfast quite happily during the silence. In complete fairness to them, she didn't know if it had been Ginny or not, but winding them up was just too much fun for her. She was turning into George more and more every day.

All of a sudden, Harry's face suddenly lit up and he leaned towards Hermione conspiratorially.

'Speaking of House Elves, by the way, how did your meeting go with the Malfoys? I never got a chance to ask.'

George and Ron almost spat their coffee all over each other.

'The Malfoys!?'

'What the bloody hell did they want with you!?'

'I swear to Merlin, Hermione, if they've been harassing you, I will rip their heads –'

'BOYS.'

Hermione stopped them both mid rant with a raise of her hand and a stern look.

'Can you tell them please, Harry, I was rather enjoying my breakfast.'

Her friend took it upon himself to tell them both every single detail of the connection between Hermione and their old enemies, but neither Weasley took it as kindly as Harry had. With ugly looks on their faces, arms folded and slouching into their chairs, Hermione could hardly believe that these men were in their twenties with the way they behaved.

'Young Malfoy isn't that bad, you know,' Ginny commented nonchalantly, drinking her coffee, 'I can't say I've ever gotten a peek at his mother or father since the War ended which doesn't surprise me in the least.'

Hermione could hear George muttering under his breath mutinously – swearing, most likely – but it was Ron who turned to his sister with an incredulous look on his face.

'Did _you_ know about this? How?'

'Because my fiancé knew about it, idiot. He's absolutely useless at lying to me at the best of times, so I wangled that piece of information out of him with ridiculous ease.'

'I now know what Mr. Weasley feels like all the time,' Harry commented quietly as Hermione snorted with laughter. Ron now turned to her.

'So come on then? What did they want? How did it go? _Why did you think this was a good idea in the first place?_ '

He finished by glaring at Harry, as if it were all his fault that Hermione had had to associate with people like the Malfoys again. She waited a little before replying, chewing the last piece of bacon on her plate extremely slowly while she thought of how to explain that odd encounter.

'It was … interesting,' she said eventually, trying to ignore the stares of her friends as she continued, 'I mean, Draco was nice enough … well, as nice as Draco Malfoy can be anyway. He seemed to be supportive of what I had to say and agreed with me on everything.'

'Well, that's good,' Harry said, looking surprised but pleased all the same.

Ginny, however, was having none of it.

'And his parents? What about them?'

'Well, Narcissa didn't show up for one. I don't really know the reason why and I never thought to ask them. It was a bit tense at times, especially at the beginning. And his father… well …'

She honestly had no idea how to explain Lucius Malfoy's behaviour to her friends. It was the most unnerving thing about the interview and something that she worried would happen again in the future.

'He … annoyed me.'

'He _annoyed_ you?' Ginny repeated incredulously, an eyebrow raised as if nothing could sound more ridiculous.

'Yes. Well, no. One minute he was quite happy not speaking one word to either me or Draco, then the next he was doing everything in his power to irritate me or just, get a rise out of me. And he kept _staring._ It's like he was trying to put me off or something.'

Everyone was looking at her with wide eyes and raised eyebrows. She didn't know what to make of the situation herself so she didn't expect the rest of them to.

'And then as we left, I shook Draco's hand. Which was weird enough as it was. Obviously, I had no idea what to do in Lucius's case, so I just kind of froze when he was in front of me. I felt like the biggest idiot on the planet … and all of a sudden he just grabbed my hand and bowed over it, like he was going to kiss it or something.'

Her cheeks reddened immensely as she got to the end of that sentence, wishing internally that she hadn't said anything to them at all. Harry and George looked confused, Ron was positively spitting feathers and Ginny's face was rather pensive. Not knowing where to look, Hermione stood and refilled her coffee mug again, taking a long sip before she sat back down at the table.

'I know it's weird,' she finally said, looking at them in turn, 'Believe me. To be honest, I've just kind of come to the conclusion that he was having a bit of a laugh and trying to take the piss out of me. I mean, there was nothing sinister about it.'

'That's all _you_ know,' she heard Ron mutter down the table and she took a quick drink again before Ginny spoke.

'So, are you seeing them again any time soon?'

'I doubt it. I said we should try and organise a fundraiser for Ministry employees to help raise some money and awareness for the cause, but I said we'd wait until March time. I wouldn't technically need to speak to them again until next month unless something major comes up.'

George hadn't really known what to say up until this point, until he broke the silence very suddenly.

'So that was it? No 'filthy Muggleborn' or the M word or threatening to torture your family. Nothing like that at all?'

Hermione shook her head.

'No. Bar the elder Malfoy's occasional teasing and sarcasm they were perfectly fine.'

'Weird.'

They all fell back into an uneasy silence again, each of them with very different thoughts running through their minds. Ginny flicked her wand towards the sink and all of the empty plates rose as one and flew towards it, landing in the basin and began washing themselves. Hermione watched it so she didn't need to look at the others. Their reactions just made it all the more confusing for her.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt the need to prove to them that both her and the Malfoys could be civil to each other without any weirdness. To set an example for everyone. She had no idea if it would ever be possible due to their history of animosity … but Draco was certainly trying to make amends and if he could do it, why couldn't she?

Hermione resolved, as they all rose from the table one by one to go about their day, to come up with a reason next week to see the Malfoys. She'd think of something.

Noticing that Ginny was hovering near the door after everyone else had left, Hermione looked at her sternly.

'Gin, there's nothing else to tell. Honestly. It was just a really weird experience, that's all.'

Her friend took a minute to think of what to say before replying, with a very serious look on her face.

'Don't make them another one of your projects, Hermione. You and your misplaced sense of honour, you're exactly like Harry. I know everyone says the Malfoys have calmed down and are law-abiding citizens now. Hell, even Harry believes that but I _still_ don't trust them. And don't you trust them either. They are there for business and nothing else. Right?'

'Right,' Hermione replied, faking a smile and trying to decide whether she actually believed that or not.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you to the people who have reviewed. I don't particularly enjoy writing author's notes but there was one question I feel like I should answer.**

 **This story is primarily Family and Drama, as you may have seen. My main aim of this is to explore the relationship between Hermione (who is the main character) and the Malfoys, after their reintroduction, as well as with the Weasleys and Harry, etc.**

 _ **However,**_ **there will be an eventual pairing and it should be made slightly more clear in the following chapters. I just preferred not to put it in the summary because it allows the reader to speculate more. It is not** ** _Dramione_** **! Apologies to those who may have been rooting for them ...**

 **brb7659**

7.

 _6_ _th_ _January 2002. Diagon Alley. London._

Being hungover was excruciating, Draco thought, as he slouched down the streets of Diagon Alley, barely even aware of why he was there or what he was looking for.

He always went to Blaise's on a Saturday night and it had somewhat stayed a tradition for them. Yesterday, however, due to the issues he was experiencing at home he had thought it prudent to get absolutely ruined on his friend's premium vodka and was now seriously regretting it today.

His parents must be absolute idiots if they thought he couldn't see what was, quite clearly, the breakdown of a loveless marriage. He had never been a naïve boy and it had been obvious from a young age that his mum and dad weren't hopeless romantics like some of his other friends' parents were but he had at least thought they were happy. Well, it just goes to show you can't trust anything.

Draco had heard, very clearly he might add, the argument they had had the other day. After their meeting with Granger. It had been awful. He hadn't known whose side to be on, especially during the aftermath where his parents weren't even on the same floor as each other never mind the same room. He started to realise as the days went by, however, that he had no business choosing sides. It wasn't any of his concern what his parents did now. The War was over. There was no pressure to be the perfect couple anymore.

He had Astoria to worry about now. There was enough on his plate having to keep her happy without dealing with his parent's problems as well. This is what he had confessed to Blaise last night anyway, half drunk and very emotional. As usual his friend had been extremely understanding and let him stay the night … which was now why Draco was wandering the streets of Diagon Alley in a daze.

'A hangover cure. That's what it is.'

He turned in the middle of the street, realising that he had walked way past the apothecary without even realising. It was unbelievable that his best friend, who was the most cautious person he knew, didn't keep basic potion ingredients stored in his house.

As he approached the dreary windows of the worst shop in Diagon Alley, he noticed two vaguely familiar heads of hair approaching from the opposite side of the street. Long, flaming red locks accompanied by a brown, bushy-haired …

'Oh, bloody hell,' he said to himself, none too quietly, as Granger noticed him almost straight away. It wasn't very often he despaired of having the famous Malfoy blonde hair, but he could really do with not being noticed today.

'Malfoy,' she said in greeting, as they both approached him quicker than he had anticipated. Cursing Blaise and his vodka internally, he didn't even have the energy to plaster a smile on his face to the two young ladies.

'Granger. Weasley. Morning.'

The red-haired one looked at him as if she wanted to laugh, which he sincerely hoped she didn't. He tended to get a little jumpy when he was this hungover and one wrong move from someone usually ended up with them being hexed to within an inch of their life.

'Not looking too good this morning, Malfoy,' Granger commented, looking slightly concerned. Of _course_ she was concerned. Bloody Gryffindors.

'Aren't you a perceptive one, Granger. I'm surprised the Aurors haven't head-hunted you with such high levels of observation.'

'So hungover that he's blinking away from the sunlight and yet he still has a witty reply up his sleeve. I'm impressed, Malfoy,' she ended, as she and Weasley shared a laugh together.

'I live to serve,' he replied with a grimace, putting a hand over his eyes, 'And as much as I am enjoying your riveting conversation, ladies, I really need a hangover cure. If you'll excuse me …'

'Oh, wait a second,' Granger interrupted, throwing out a hand to stop him from leaving before grabbing a small beaded bag out of her pocket. With a raised eyebrow, he watched sceptically as she shoved her hand … no, her entire _arm_ into this bag, searched for a few seconds and then pulled out a small vial.

'Hangover cure,' she announced cheerfully, handing the vial to Draco who was watching her with a mix of dubiousness and admiration.

'You are aware that Undetectable Extension charms need to be Ministry approved, Granger, right?'

With a roll of her eyes, the Weasley girl spoke up at last, 'Yes, Malfoy, they denied Hermione Granger, saviour of the Wizarding World, a stupid extension charm because it's _against Ministry regulations_.'

Draco shrugged his shoulders.

'The Golden Trio weren't exactly known for sticking to the rules in school, were they? It was a valid question.'

And with that, Draco unstopped the vial, took a quick sniff of what was inside and then downed it in one. He had to stop himself from groaning with joy as the relief he had been searching for all morning suddenly found him and his hangover completely disappeared. Smiling happily to himself, he put the top back on the vial and handed it out to Granger. Her arms were folded and her eyebrow raised so high it almost disappeared into her hair.

'Really, Malfoy? You felt the need to smell it first. What, just in case I felt like poisoning you?'

Weasley girl was laughing again but he didn't feel any shame whatsoever.

'Give it a rest, Granger. You would have done exactly the same if it were me. And no, _not_ because of our past history with one another but more due to the fact that I don't trust anyone's potion-making skills except my own.'

Hermione considered him for a second before giving a small smile and taking the vial from his hand to return to her bag.

'I'll accept that.'

'May I ask why you feel the need to carry hangover potions around with you at all times? Or are you just an alcoholic?'

Giving a fake laugh and placing her bag back in her pocket, she nodded towards her friend, 'When the people you live with don't know how to make a basic hangover potion it's always beneficial to have one in your bag. Either that or you have to deal with the wrath of a hungover Weasley - which is you today times one hundred.'

Draco smirked as the Weasley girl smacked Granger on the arm in annoyance and she simply just laughed in her face. He was starting to like this woman more every minute he spoke with her.

'Should have been a Slytherin, Granger, you'd have done a great job of it,' he commented to them.

Granger snorted, 'Yeah, right. Hey, Malfoy, I actually wanted to speak to you about something. I know we had said to meet up in a few weeks to discuss the Ministry fundraiser but there's something else I could use your help with. Would I be able to take up some of your time next week?'

'Could do,' Draco replied, slightly surprised, 'That desperate to see me again, are you?'

'Oh, how _did_ you guess? Was it mine and your father's charming conversation that gave it away?'

Draco's mask came back up again almost instantly, something which both Hermione and Ginny did not fail to notice had been triggered by the mention of his parent.

'Yes, well … just give me an owl when you want us to come in, Granger. Good day to you both.'

In a manner reminiscent of his father a few days before, Malfoy disappeared down the street and left the two best friends looking rather confused in his wake. They were an extremely frustrating family. Ginny spoke up first, not taking her eyes off the spot where he stalked off.

'Well, that was enlightening. Who knew his father was such a source of discomfort for him? Shame too, I was starting to tolerate him before that.'

Hermione, as she usually did, was thinking much deeper into it than Ginny. There had been a little tension between Draco and his father earlier in the week, but nothing to merit what had just happened today. She might have to watch them very carefully at the next meeting to determine what this was. After all, she had only just gained their support for her campaign – it wouldn't do to have a family feud jeopardising everything she had worked so hard for.

'Right, so we still need to get something to take to Mum and Dad's for Sunday lunch. Got any ideas?'

'We could always get them something from –'

'We are _not_ going to Flourish and Blotts.'


	8. Chapter 8

8.

 _29_ _th_ _January 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

Hermione had thought it best to wait a few days after meeting Malfoy so unexpectedly in Diagon Alley before attempting to contact him again. They hadn't parted on the best of terms and she wanted to make this alliance work between them. So she waited.

A few days turned into a few weeks and it was now the last week in January. Work had been busy enough to take her mind off of things for a while, but she could no longer deny that she needed to at least attempt to communicate with the family if she wanted to move any further on. She had lingered on the thought that perhaps, if she was lucky, she would see them hanging around the Ministry now and again. That, however, was wishful thinking. No one had seen them or heard from them in weeks. She started to get uneasy. The first month of the year was almost over and she had done nothing.

By yesterday afternoon, her patience had completely run out. Hermione then took it upon herself, after dinner at Grimmauld Place, to send an owl to Draco. She thought it best to just meet at the Ministry again in her office, where she would at least feel comfortable enough in her own surroundings to face them once more. She extended the invitation once again to his mother and father and it took every ounce of her daring to write that in her letter. As it was she had no idea whether the hostility between Draco and his father had ebbed and she wished – rather than thought - that perhaps he would simply come alone. It would make things a little easier for her.

A reply did not come and Hermione almost got her hopes up that no one would be there at all the next again day. Perhaps the Malfoys were out of the country and the owl didn't get there in time.

Her hopes were dashed, however, when she entered the corridor where her office was situated and saw no son at all. And no wife either.

Lucius Malfoy sat alone, looking regal as ever and she felt her stomach drop. How on earth was she going to pluck up the courage to ask permission to enter his house, never mind organise plans for the first campaign event?

She noticed that every person in the surrounding area was being more cautious than usual. With a small shake of her head, she decided to show them that this man was not to be feared any longer. They were all human, all wizards. Why should he make her feel uncomfortable? Or anyone else, for that matter.

Clearing her throat a little, Malfoy looked up at her and immediately rose from his seat to stand to attention. How he had managed to do so with so much grace startled her but nevertheless Hermione looked him directly in the eye and gave a small smile.

'Mr. Malfoy,' she greeted and offered her hand to him. This time – and she thanked the Gods for small mercies – he simply shook it with one gloved hand and gave a small bow of his head.

'Miss Granger, a pleasure,' he stated, not letting go of her hand as he stared her down … once more she was completely nonplussed.

Removing her hand from his a little too quickly, she bade him to follow her into the office.

'I apologise for my tardiness, Mr. Malfoy. I had a very important meeting this morning which pushed this appointment back a little later than I had originally intended. I hope it was of no inconvenience to you?'

Hermione had not looked at him once as she crossed behind her desk and took a seat, signalling towards her companion to do the same. His eyes had never left her, however, yet his face was still a complete mask. A mystery to her. It was only when she raised her own to look right back at him that he began to speak.

'None at all, I assure you,' he replied with a small nod of his head, crossing one leg over the other and looking more at ease within her office than she did herself, 'I must also, in turn, apologise for the absence of my son and his mother. They had previous engagements which they had to attend to this afternoon. But I can pass on anything of importance.'

Hermione felt the need to clear her throat again and picked up one of her finer quills from the table and began dipping it in ink. "My son and his mother". Not "my son and my wife". Internally she shook her head for thinking too much into things. She desperately needed to keep her head clear right now.

'I am sorry they could not attend … there was something in particular that I wished to ask of you all. Well, seeing as you are the head of your household it had better be you than Draco, I suppose.'

'You _suppose_ correctly, madam,' he replied, looking at her with a curious expression, 'Ask away. Then I will decide whether or not I can assist you.'

She knew he was being impertinent on purpose, exactly like the last time – but she would not lose her head. Hermione smiled at him icily, not feeling completely confident in making it seem genuine.

'Yes. It is more of a favour I have to ask of you. Something that would be very important in terms of my research -'

'I was under the impression that you did not require my family to involve themselves with your research. May I ask why the sudden change of mind?'

'If you would allow me to finish,' Hermione breathed, a flash of irritation in her eyes as she realised he was bringing up their past meeting, 'That is why I used the term _favour_. We do have other business to discuss today which relates to what was agreed between us a few weeks ago but this is an additional request. I was wondering if it would be at all possible for me to have a conversation with your House Elves?'

Malfoy obviously hadn't expected something like this.

'My House Elves? And what possible need would you have to speak to _my_ House Elves in particular? Surely you have others at your disposal. The ones situated at Hogwarts perhaps?'

'I have already had plenty of contact with the Hogwarts House Elves, but I thank you for the suggestion nonetheless. The main reason I wished to speak to the House Elves working for you is due to their position within a domestic Pureblood home. I have not had a lot of experience in that particular area, if you understand me.'

 _Apart from just the one …_ she thought, as an image of Dobby flashed into her mind. Hermione could see herself losing patience with this man very quickly. Why did he feel the need to question all of her motives? A simple bloody answer of 'yes' or 'no' would have sufficed.

'And you know of no other Pureblood families who could be of any assistance to you? To my understanding, there are plenty of other people you could push yourself upon. Your friend, Mr. Potter, I believe has a House Elf as well.'

'Thank you for the consideration you have given me at offering other alternatives but you know very well that Harry Potter is a half-blood and not a full member of the Black Family. His relationship with Kreacher is decidedly different. I would like to speak to your House Elves in particular for a number of reasons which I am sure will become clear to you when I –'

His eyes narrowed maliciously.

'Your self-importance has always astounded me, Miss Granger.

'You wonder why I hesitate. As soon as this arrangement between us came to be, I wondered how long it would take before my house was to be subject to inspection by the incompetent personnel of this department _._ What do you expect to find, Little Miss Save-the-World? Let me put your mind at ease by assuring you that I follow the law very diligently. You will find nothing distressing to put in your scathing reports of how House Elves are treated in a Pureblood household, I'm afraid.'

The rage inside Hermione's head was building by the second and she could barely speak due to the outrageous accusations he had just thrown at her. She noticed he was now smirking, but there was still a dangerous air within the room which stopped her from shouting obscenities at him just yet.

'Is it impossible for you to answer a question without disputing it first? I feel like I need not remind you of your behaviour the last time you were in this office, Mr. Malfoy. You did not take kindly to any of my accusations, which I apologised for. I hope you do not expect me to treat this any differently. It was not my purpose whatsoever to offend you but you have most certainly offended me. My intentions in asking this request of you are for research purposes only and are completely honourable.'

'Oh, _obviously_ ,' Malfoy replied, the irritation now showing on his own face, 'I would have expected no less from a Gryffindor under the usual circumstances. Forgive me, however, for observing that your self-righteous intentions aren't always as respectable as you would like to think.

'As for your attitude, Miss Granger, I will not be spoken to like a belligerent child –'

'Then you would do very well to stop acting like one!' Hermione interrupted, her eyes blazing and standing up from her chair the moment that he had stood up from his. She walked around the room and closed the door with a slam.

'Let's not make a scene, Mr. Malfoy. I like to stay out of the Daily Prophet as much as possible … I will assume that you do as well.'

The man's nostrils flared as he took in the young witch standing before him, her arms crossed so tightly across her chest he thought they would never unravel. His own anger was barely kept at bay, despite how necessary it was to keep it that way.

'Never in my life have I been spoken to in such a manner. Even my own son would never –'

'Perhaps it is time for me to enlighten you then, _sir_ ,' Hermione hissed, not even caring that their raised voices could attract attention out in the hall, 'My respect and my manners come at a cost. Do not expect me to hold my temper when all you have done since you walked into my office today is antagonise me.'

' _Perhaps_ I might also add that I have no intention of treating you any differently than I would others of your position, my dear. You may be the darling to the rest of the Wizarding World but you _will_ know your place when you are with me.'

'And what place is that?' she muttered dangerously, as he noticed her hand gripping her wand from inside her robes pocket, 'Beneath _you_? Oh, of course. I had almost forgotten your opinion on Mudbloods.'

Lucius Malfoy could not hide his flinch as she uttered that word. A word he had used so many times that it was part of his regular vocabulary … and yet it felt different when she said it. Whispered with so much animosity that even the Dark Lord himself couldn't have made it sound any uglier. The rest of his argument faltered.

Hermione noticed him backing down with the use of one simple phrase. She may have gone too far in this instance, but she would not stand for it. This was her office. He was working for _her_ and knew very well that their reputation depended on this connection if they wanted to remain a part of Wizarding Britain. She felt herself calming at the same instant.

'I apologise if I have offended you, Miss Granger,' Malfoy uttered in a quiet voice, 'That was not my intent. I would never … I do not think of you in those terms anymore.'

He looked like he was having an extreme internal struggle and Hermione could imagine what it was. Feeling like you've given someone too much information yet wanting to defend yourself at the same time. Malfoy's jaw was set and she was shocked to see he was attempting to take his leave of her; but just as he reached the door she held out an arm to stop him.

' _Wait_.'

Lucius Malfoy turned to stare at her with a strange expression on his face that she couldn't make out. She looked right back at him, with her hand on the doorknob to block his escape.

'I too must apologise. My anger has gotten the better of me. Please forgive me for my thoughtless choice of words. Regardless of the past … I am better than that. You did not deserve it.'

Incredulity was all she could see in his expression. He had never been apologised to so sincerely for years and she had admitted that she was also in the wrong. This almost threw him more than her use of the word Mudblood.

He realised too late their close proximity to one another… but he could not leave, as she had her hand on the door. Cursing himself silently, he took a step back and removed his eyes from hers.

'Please, Mr. Malfoy,' Hermione said, 'I beg of you to stay and finish our meeting. I understand you do not want me inside your house, but please allow me to –'

'Yes.'

'… What?' she asked in a shaky voice, a confused look on her face as she tried to figure out what he meant.

'The answer to your question. You may speak to the House Elves at a time most convenient to you. I give you my word.'

Silence descended on them once again as Hermione removed her hand from the door. She had permission? A smile almost graced her face at the revelation, but she cleared her throat loudly to draw attention away from it.

Malfoy watched her intently, realising that he had inadvertently given Hermione Granger something to be happy about. It was an uneasy feeling.

'If you will excuse me, Miss Granger, I must attend to other business. If you would send me an owl with your choice of date and time I would be most appreciative. Good day to you.'

And before Hermione could utter so much as a thank you, the door was opened and the man had once again left her in a state of complete confusion.

With a hand over her chest, she could feel her racing heart beneath her shirt. How much more of this could she take?


	9. Chapter 9

9.

 _30_ _th_ _January 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Second Study._

Draco Malfoy arrived back at his childhood home with a small sigh. What a dreary place it was now, especially in contrast to where he had come from.

He heard nothing as he walked into the main hall, not that he expected to. If his father was home he rarely made any noise. It was a family trait.

A _crack_ sounded to his left but he was so used to the sound that he didn't flinch.

'Good evening, Tilly,' he said to one of the older House Elves, 'Where is my father?'

'Master Malfoy is in the second study,' the old Elf croaked back, taking Draco's coat from him without asking and she was about to wander off when he stopped her again.

'Tilly … is, er … is my father alright?'

The Elf looked at him as if he had sprouted an extra head. She was so old that all the hair was gone from her head and her back so stooped that her long nose almost touched the floor with every step … and yet Draco had found that there was a kindness in her eyes that some of the other House Elves lacked at times. It was comforting. Perhaps it was because he had grown up with her help since he was a baby, but he liked her the most out of all of them. She was practically considered a member of the family.

'Master Malfoy keeps his own company,' she replied, in the same tone, 'Master remains in his room all day and does not eat. Yesterday Master came home very distressed … we have not seen him since then.'

With a small smile and a thank you to Tilly, he took no time in climbing up the stairs to his father's second study and another _crack_ signalled that she had gone back down to the kitchens after putting away his coat. To say he was worried about his father was an understatement, especially after the events of the past couple of weeks … and he doubted very much that his interview with Granger had helped his mood.

Draco stood outside and rapped on the door twice before letting himself in.

The sight of his father, looking enormously defeated, in front of the fireplace with a whiskey in hand did nothing to assuage his feelings. It did not help that this pitiful figure reminded him so much of the Lucius Malfoy during the War. He looked broken, beaten down and it was more than Draco could bear. Even his mother's state had been better than this.

Closing the door behind him, he immediately walked to the liquor cabinet. The doors were wide open and many of its contents spread about the room. Had his father been drinking all day?

Lucius hadn't even bothered to greet him, not even as he sat in the seat next to him beside the fire with his own drink firmly in hand. He had a feeling this was going to be a long night.

'How did it go, father? The meeting?'

For a minute, nothing was said. The fire crackled menacingly, the room was already darker than it was when he had walked in and the candles flickered in the background as he heard Lucius mutter something under his breath.

'I hate her.'

Raising one eyebrow in astonishment, Draco couldn't think of a reply. What on earth was he to say to that? He used to hate Granger as well, but that had all been school rivalry and the fact he was taught to treat Muggleborns with disdain. Now she seemed a little better, even if she was still a know-it-all. The way his father had said it, however, made him almost believe what he was saying.

'Who does she think she is?' Lucius continued, his voice wavering with what sounded like too much alcohol in his system, 'The manner in which she spoke to me. The contempt in her eyes when she fought with me. Who is she to argue with me? I am her superior in every possible way and yet she treated me like nothing more than one of her lackeys at the Ministry. It is not to be borne.'

His father took another long swig of his drink, which made Draco wince. He set his own down on the table next to him. He might need his wits about him to take part in this conversation.

'No different to how she usually is, father. Granger always was a smart-mouthed, pain in the arse, even back at school. You shouldn't let it irritate you.'

'It intrigues me, Draco,' Lucius replied, staring into the fire, ' _She_ can get away with it. If someone of her background had spoken to me like that even a few years ago they would have found themselves on the end of the most painful curse I could think of …yet, with Hermione Granger it didn't even occur to me. I was angry with her. I wanted to throttle her. The audacity, the arrogance …

'I apologised to her, you know,' he continued, as his son watched on in shock, 'I apologised for losing my temper. She called herself a Mudblood … and it caught me off guard. She didn't even hesitate to throw that word in my face. I think she expected me to laugh at her, or at least argue some more but I couldn't. I couldn't go on.'

Draco was even more worried now than he had been before. Yes, he had expected his father to have had at least one little spat with Granger – it was likely to happen more often than not – but he hadn't prepared himself for anything like this. He had to think very carefully as to how to approach this subject. This was the most intense conversation he had _ever_ had with his father and that was including the ones during the War.

'I have given her permission to come to the Manor.'

If he had had a drink in his hand at that point, Draco would have dropped it. His mouth was hanging open precariously before he came to his senses.

'Are you out of your mind, father? What do you mean you have given her permission to come here? What on earth could she want?'

 _Bloody hell._ One minute he was talking about how much he hated the girl, then – in his own messed up way – he told Draco he actually admired her and now he was inviting her round for a fucking cup of tea?

Lucius drank the remainder of his glass in one gulp but did not rise to get another. His son thought that was probably down to the fact he wouldn't be able to stand up more than anything else.

'She wants to talk to the House Elves, so I let her.'

'I really don't think this a good idea,' Draco replied in a cautious tone, 'For a number of reasons. You do remember what happened the last time she was here, don't you?'

He really hadn't wanted to bring that up … had hoped that that day would simply be kept locked away in his mind, never to be discussed again. But the seriousness of this situation called for something dramatic to bring his father to his senses. Her screams had stayed with him in many of his darkest nightmares, even if – at the time – he hadn't particularly cared what happened to her. By that point, the horror of the events that had taken place in his house almost broke him. He had always known his Aunt was insane, but the creative way in which she had chosen to torture Granger was something he would never forget.

His father had stiffened in his seat, his hand gripping his glass so tightly that Draco swore he could see it beginning to crack.

' _She_ asked _me,_ Draco. Do you think I am stupid? Of course I remember. That was one of the reasons I was trying to put her off the idea … we ended up arguing anyway because she kept pushing it. If she wants to come here, on her own head be it.'

He didn't think it was a great idea to argue with him. His father looked beyond being able to hold a civilised conversation now. Anger and too much alcohol can do that to a person.

Instead, Draco bade him goodnight and left him to sulk by himself. But he didn't go to bed.

No … he had a bone to pick with Hermione Granger.


	10. Chapter 10

10.

 _30_ _th_ _January 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Kitchen._

'I'm sorry to bother you, Gin. I just really needed someone to talk to about all this and you know what Harry and Ron are like.'

'Don't be stupid,' Ginny replied, stepping out of the fireplace and brushing the remnants of ash from her trousers, 'As long as I am back in time for training in the morning, how are they to know? They wouldn't be third in the league without me anyway.'

The two young women took seats opposite one another in the kitchen and Hermione flicked her wand towards the kettle to start boiling it. Ginny was trying her best to look composed but could not help being intrigued when Hermione had Floo'd her not five minutes ago to ask if she could speak to her in person. She waited patiently for her friend to begin after she placed two cups of tea in front of them both.

'It happened again,' Hermione sighed, as she took a sip of her scalding hot tea and almost choked, 'I met with Malfoy yesterday.'

Ginny hadn't touched her tea yet and sat with her arms folded, leaning back against the kitchen chair.

'Draco?' she replied. Hermione shook her head.

'Lucius.'

'Forgive me for saying this, but are you out of your _fucking mind?_ '

Hermione winced as she took another sip of tea. She had figured talking to Ginny was the safest option for her right now, as Harry and Ron would not have taken it so well. Even so, she wanted to hear what the red head had to say on the subject.

'What do you mean?'

'I _mean_ it's Lucius Malfoy! You know, he was a Death Eater? Tried to kill us on multiple occasions? Ringing any bells?'

'I know how bad it sounds,' Hermione admitted, 'But it wasn't as if I had specifically asked for him to turn up alone. It was Draco I sent the message to but he and his mother had other business to take care of.'

'That is still not a good enough reason for you to be locked up in a room, alone, with Lucius Malfoy.'

'Would you please stop saying his full name,' she replied with a roll of her eyes, 'And don't you think I can handle it? I am more than capable of taking care of myself.'

'That's not what I meant and you know it. I've made my opinion clear enough before. He is still a dangerous man, Hermione, regardless of whether or not he's changed.'

'I never said he wasn't. That isn't why I asked you here though. He didn't hurt me or anything although we did have a rather heated argument about –'

'That's exactly what I'm talking about! One wrong move in an argument with someone like him and he could have forty different ways of skinning you alive up his sleeve.'

'Is my skin still attached?' Hermione replied, a smirk dancing on her lips, 'Come on, Ginny, you know the Malfoy family are still on thin ice even if they weren't sent to Azkaban.'

'Thanks to Harry,' Ginny muttered.

'Yes, thanks to Harry. My point is I know I'm safe around them, all right?'

'Well I _don't_ know. Lucius Malfoy had no problem at all giving an eleven year-old girl a cursed diary. Do you really think his conscience will stop him from throwing a few hexes at you?'

'You know that is unfair, Ginny,' Hermione scolded, 'He apologised to you for that if you well remember and he also had no idea what it was capable of –'

'Don't you dare try and stick up for him, Hermione! I may have accepted his apology but that does not mean I will ever forget what that thing put me through. Do not, and I mean it, _do not_ let your guard down around any of them. They are not to be trusted.'

'God, you sound exactly like Ron! Don't you believe in giving people second chances?'

'They've had more than enough chances as far as I'm concerned.'

The two friends glared at each other from across the table, arms folded and scowls on their faces. Hermione had genuinely believed she wouldn't have had to go down this route with Ginny, that maybe she would be a bit more understanding that the others. She sighed loudly, breaking the stony silence.

'Ginny, look … regardless of any of our feelings towards the Malfoys, I need them. They are the only family who volunteered to fund the department without any sinister ulterior motives. Yes, they may only be doing this to suck up to the Ministry but I _don't care._ As long as they are on my side of the campaign, that's all that matters.'

'Maybe,' Ginny replied, taking a long gulp of her tea before replying, 'I'm sorry … I'm just looking out for you, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt anymore.'

Hermione reached across the dinner table to grasp her friend's hand.

'I know and I really appreciate it, but I won't get hurt. I'm fine and I promise I'll take care of myself. Right?'

'Right.'

'Good. Now can I actually tell you what happened yesterday before you spontaneously combust?'

Ginny laughed loudly.

'Come on, then, what did the slimy git want?'

'OI! GRANGER!'

The two girls flew out of their seats, wands raised as a loud voice echoed from the living room. There was no one else in the house at the moment … that they both knew for certain. Without looking at one another, they both took an offensive stance and walked warily through the kitchen towards the doorway.

When Hermione saw what the threat was, however, she could have punched something.

'Oh, for God's sake, Malfoy!' she shouted, putting her wand down and storming over to the hearth where a familiar pointed face sat in the fire, looking murderous, 'What on earth do you think you're playing at? You scared Ginny and I half to death with your caterwauling!'

A sarcastic smile appeared on the figure's face.

'Spare me the details, Granger. I need to have a word with you in private, if you wouldn't mind. Can I come through?'

Hermione turned to Ginny to get her permission. Her friend was also standing in the corner looking mutinous, but she nodded her head nonetheless.

'Right. One minute,' Malfoy's head said and he was gone with a _pop._

'What the bloody hell does he want!?' Ginny whispered harshly, grabbing Hermione's arm and staring at her with such intensity that she might have been searching for the answer on her face.

'How on earth should I know? I'm just as surprised as you!'

All of a sudden the room around them flashed bright green and Draco Malfoy stepped from the fireplace with his usual poise, straightening his robes and brushing dust from them.

'Well, thank God this place is on the Floo network, that's all I can say.'

Hermione walked over to stand directly in front of him, hands on her hips and not looking particularly happy about the intrusion.

'First of all, what the bloody hell are you doing here and second of all, how did you find me?'

Draco rolled his eyes at her.

'Don't get your knickers in a twist, Granger, it doesn't suit you.'

Just as Hermione was about to retaliate, Malfoy held up a hand to silence her which almost made her froth at the mouth. He smirked.

'I found you thanks to the Elf that skulks around your friend's tragic little house on Grimmauld Place.'

'And how exactly can you get into Grimmauld Place, it is still under the Fidelius Charm,' Ginny asked him, with an accusatory look in her eye.

'Your boyfriend actually –'

'My _fiancé._ '

'My sincerest apologies, your fiancé gave me the address should he ever need to discuss Death Eater tactics with me. For his job, you understand.'

Ginny looked outraged.

'Harry never told me that! How did I not –'

'You were on a need-to-know basis, Weasley, and you didn't need to know. I'm not exactly popping round for a cup of tea every couple of days. Potter and I came to a little agreement. That's all.'

Draco then rounded on Hermione, who had been watching this exchange with so much interest that she had almost forgotten why he was here.

'Now, as for you, Granger, I have a pressing question which need answering.

'Why is it that after only one lone meeting with you has my father has succumbed to alcoholism and will not vacate his study?'

Silence enveloped them all as Hermione and Ginny simply gaped at Malfoy in shock and he, in turn, looked to them for an answer. He raised an eyebrow.

' _Well_?'

'What – how …' Hermione spluttered, 'I don't know, Malfoy, what the hell does your father's mental state have to do with me? I assure you, I –'

'Oh, you are so ridiculously irritating at times, Granger,' Malfoy snapped, interrupting her mid-speech, 'Do not act as if nothing happened because something clearly did. Why else would he be trying to drink himself into a coma?'

'It is absolutely none of my business what your father or _any_ of you for that matter choose to do in your spare time,' Hermione replied angrily, 'How dare you barge into my friend's house with the most ludicrous accusations and attempt to force the blame on me!'

Without even a glance, Malfoy walked towards the patio doors at the back of the house, took a moment to look outside before nodding to himself and opening one of them.

'Care to join me? It's warm out.'

Hermione and Ginny just stared at him incredulously. He looked like he was getting irritated, however, and the former thought it best to just go along with what he wanted seeing as it appeared to be important.

'I'll be back in a minute, Ginny,' she murmured to her friend before following Malfoy out into the garden, closing the door behind her.

Draco said nothing for the first few minutes and merely walked beside her in a leisurely manner as they strolled further out into the fields behind the garden. It was a good thing Hermione had her wand with her as she was slightly apprehensive about what he was going to say now.

He stopped suddenly, under the cover of some trees and his facial expression showed just how seriously he was taking this matter.

'I don't have time for nonsense,' he began, 'I haven't seen my father in this much of a state since the War. I want you to tell me what happened. _Now._ '

Hermione folded her arms across her chest and sniffed in indignation.

'Why couldn't you just ask Lucius what happened instead of –'

'Because he's _bloody_ well incapacitated as I have already informed you, Granger, so start talking before I get really pissed off.'

'Look, _nothing happened,_ alright? We may have had a little dispute but it most definitely wasn't enough to drive either of us to drink. I'm fine, aren't I?'

'Well,' Malfoy replied, not looking at her anymore as he spoke, 'My father isn't as resilient as he'd like everyone to think.'

He saw Hermione's surprise and realised he might have said the too much. Draco felt like he was digging himself further into a hole every time he spoke to this woman.

'I just meant that the War changed him, Granger, alright? He's not the same person he used to –'

'For your information, _Malfoy,_ the War changed a lot of us –'

' _Will you stop fucking interrupting me!'_ Draco hissed at her, his eyes like daggers. Hermione shut her mouth very quickly.

'As I was saying … the main reason I came here was to tell you to back off, do you understand?'

He watched Hermione do her best impression of a goldfish, opening and closing her mouth rapidly as her face slowly reddened to the point where she resembled a tomato.

' _Me_ stay away from _him?_ You have got to be joking. I didn't do anything wrong! We had an argument, it escalated, we both apologised to one another afterwards and _that is that._ '

'Well it clearly isn't! I don't know what you've done but you will stay away from him. Things are bad enough for him without –'

'What do you mean? Is he alright?'

Draco pinched the bridge of his nose with his fingers and sighed in exasperation.

'It is none of your business, as you so kindly informed me earlier. I just want things to go back to normal. That cannot happen with you in the picture as he always ends up doing something incredibly stupid after interacting with you.'

Hermione was silent now and had no idea how to reply. What on earth could she possibly have done that has affected Lucius Malfoy in this way? He hated her, she hated him, there was nothing more to their relationship other than the fact they now worked with one another. She did have one other thing on her mind, however …

'Malfoy, he promised I'd be able to see your House Elves. It's so important for the research I'm doing at the moment and –'

'I will organise that as soon as possible for you,' Draco interrupted, as he pulled some gloves out of his pocket, 'You will also direct any matters of business to me from now on. By me, I mean _only_ me. Is that understood?'

She didn't have the strength to answer properly, so just settled for nodding her head.

'Wonderful. Now I'll escort you back inside, but you must promise me not to breathe a word of any of this to anyone. Bar the Weasley girl, obviously, seeing as she overheard the first little spat.'

And with that, Malfoy took hold of her upper arm, steered her in the direction of the Burrow and began walking swiftly. Hermione kept up as best she could and noticed that the sky had darkened considerably since when they had left.

Ginny was still sat in the living room when they re-entered the house and sprang up as soon as Hermione walked in the door. Taking time to glare at Malfoy, she took hold of her friend's hand as the man took his leave of them.

'Have a good evening, Weasley. Granger. I'm sure I'll see you soon.'

And then he was gone in a flash of bright green.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

 _1_ _st_ _February 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London._

Harry had insisted, over a year ago now, on using his house to host the Weasley bi-monthly gatherings. It's not that Number 12 was necessarily bigger than the Burrow, but it did mean that Mrs. Weasley got some well-deserved time off from having to cook or clean up after everyone. Kreacher had been more than happy to do all the work as well, but most of the time Harry preferred to go out by himself and pick up something from a Muggle takeaway.

He thought back rather fondly to the first time he had bought the rest of the family a Chinese meal and chuckled. The majority of them had never shown any interest in trying foreign food but he insisted they would enjoy it.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't fans.

This time he had opted for fish and chips for everyone which had gone down a lot better. Ron had already asked him numerous times what the address for the place was and how he could get himself some Muggle money. Some of the family still found it fascinating that Harry could just flit between using Wizarding currency and Muggle pounds.

Most of them were sitting in the living room now and amongst them were all of the Weasley family and their respective partners. Bill and Fleur had left half an hour ago to make sure Victoire got plenty of rest. Harry could also tell by the sleepy expressions on their faces as they had said goodbye that they were in need of it just as much as their toddler.

Parvati, Percy's girlfriend Audrey and Mrs. Weasley were tucked up in one corner with a bottle of wine, chatting merrily about the latest articles in Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet.

Percy, Angelina, Ginny and Charlie were discussing Quidditch – again – and the latter two seemed to be arguing vociferously over who had the better group of chasers this season: the Chudley Cannons or the Tutshill Tornadoes.

Mr. Weasley and George were standing by the fireplace and no one really had any idea what they were discussing. It seemed to be serious, however, so nobody felt like interrupting them.

Harry and Ron stood next to the window, looking out onto the street below.

Hermione still hadn't shown up yet, unsurprisingly. 8pm on a Friday night for normal people meant having a few drinks, some friends in the house and preparing for the weekend ahead. Not her. No, Harry had no doubt in his mind that she was probably still in the office, not even keeping an eye on the time. He wouldn't have minded usually except she had promised him to make it in time for dinner tonight. Ron was also looking a little put out about it, especially since he had hoped to re-introduce her to Parvati.

Swirling the beer around in his glass, Harry turned to his best friend.

'You do think she's alright, don't you? I mean, she did make a promise that she would be here for seven o'clock at the latest. Is it like her to be this late?'

Ron shrugged.

'You know what she's like Harry. Hermione forgets to eat most of the time when she's in the middle of something important. I'm sure she'll turn up in a while, completely apologetic and offer to take us out another night.'

Harry's frown didn't disappear, however, and he continued to be thoughtful. He was certain nothing bad would have happened to her. There were still enough people in the Ministry at that time to ensure there was enough security … but something still wasn't sitting right with him. He took another long swig of beer, just as Ginny had appeared next to them both.

'Hermione's taking a while,' she commented, biting her lip, 'You don't think she's –'

'She's _fine,_ ' Ron interrupted, shooting a glare at her and taking another drink of his beer, 'I'm telling you she's just working late again. There is nothing to worry about.'

Ginny didn't look very convinced.

'Did she say she was going to be working late tonight when you spoke to her, Harry?'

'Not in so many words,' he replied, 'She said she had some "other business" to take care of before she came here. Must be something to do with the new campaign.'

'You don't think she's gone to see _them,_ Harry?' Ginny asked, with a slightly worried look on her face. Ron did not fail to notice her expression and turned to Harry questioningly.

'What's going on? Why does she look worried?'

Harry shook his head at his fiancé and clapped a hand on Ron's arm.

'There is nothing going on, mate. Ginny seems to have gotten it into her head that Hermione is getting a little too friendly with the Malfoys.'

Ron took a gulp of his beer at the wrong moment and almost choked. After catching his breath, he looked back up at Harry and Ginny, his eyes streaming.

'Don't be so bloody stupid, that's impossible. She's met with them – what – twice? They're barely even acquaintances.'

'Neither of you have any idea what you're on about,' Ginny argued, her hand gripping her glass of firewhisky, 'Hermione didn't tell you what happened in those meetings because she didn't want any trouble or people being too overprotective.

'And I didn't say she was getting _friendly_ with them _,_ I just meant that she's getting too … involved. Come on, you have to admit that Hermione is a sucker for a charity case. A family as messed up as the Malfoys would be a perfect project for her.'

Harry looked at her like she'd gone mad while Ron rolled his eyes.

'They're not a _project_ , Ginny, they're people,' her fiancé finally said, looking back out onto the street, 'And they're a lot better now than they used to be –'

'You sound exactly like Dumbledore,' Ron commented, chuckling a little, 'He always gave people second chances even if they didn't deserve them.'

'He was right about Snape, wasn't he? Look, I took a big gamble when I defended them in front of the Wizengamot three years ago and it finally looks like it's paying off. Well, for Hermione anyway. I don't really think there's anything to worry about, regardless of whether she's gone to see them or not.'

'Leopards don't change their spots,' Ginny muttered and for once, her brother seemed to agree with her.

'She's got a point you know, Harry. They might not have done anything suspect so far but who's to say they won't get riled up about working with … you know, someone like Hermione.'

'What? Because she's a Muggleborn?' Harry said, completely astounded, 'Don't be thick, Ron. They _asked_ me if they could work with her. Besides, no one thinks in that way anymore – _especially_ them. If you recall I warned the lot of them within an inch of their lives that if I got any whiff of Pureblood superiority from them they'd be thrown in Azkaban without so much as a trial. _There is nothing to worry about._ '

As far as Harry was concerned, that ended the argument. Ron seemed appeased, but he knew his fiancé well enough to tell that he was going to hear more about it later. Sighing, he finished the beer he had in his hand and turned to survey the rest of the room.

All of a sudden, George cleared his throat loudly and stood at the centre of the fireplace, waving madly at them all.

'Oi! The lot of you, pipe down. I have an important announcement.'

He beckoned over to Angelina, who stood up from her place in an armchair and gave him a dazzling smile. Standing together in front of everyone, their arms linked, they looked like the happiest couple in the world.

'I just wanted to say,' George continued, a little tinge of red in his cheeks, 'Whilst you were all here, that we have something we wanted to tell you. Angelina and I … well … I asked her, and … what I mean to say is, we're getting –'

BANG!

Audrey and Parvati shrieked and Charlie jumped so much in his seat that he had thrown his beer all over his new jumper. Harry and Ron, however, had drawn their wands the instant they had heard the noise. It was coming from downstairs. They looked at each other with slightly worried faces – maybe Ginny had been right. Was Hermione in trouble?

'Everyone stay here and keep calm. We're going to check it out.'

But there wasn't any need.

'HARRY! HARRY! SOMEONE, ANYONE, PLEASE COME QUICK!'

'Hermione!'

The boys shot out of the door with lightning speed and ran down the stairs two at a time, only to be confronted by a hysterical Hermione, who was practically sobbing.

'Hermione, what the bloody hell happened to you!?' Ron exclaimed, pulling his friend into a bone-crushing hug.

'Stop it! Let me go, we don't have time –'

'What do we not have time for, Hermione, what is going on!' Harry shouted at her, pulling her from Ron's grip. She was shaking.

'Harry we need to leave now! I only just got away - it's the Malfoys!'

Before they knew it, she had started to cry, tears falling from her eyes even as she continued to try and explain to them what had happened.

'Could you please go and get her a calming draught, Ron. There should be one down in the kitchen, in the second cabinet on the wall.'

Ron raced downstairs as Harry hugged Hermione, stroking her hair and trying to calm her down. Everyone upstairs was starting to rush down towards them, but he raised his hand to let them know not to crowd her. He needed to get her talking again.

In a flash, Ron had appeared back with a vial in his hand and he thrust it towards Hermione.

'Come on, drink this, then you can tell us …'

Hermione pulled herself away from Harry's embrace and took the vial from Ron with a shaking hand, downing the contents as fast as she could. The boys noticed her eyes drying up almost instantly and her body had stopped shaking. In a move that raised a small cry from the family standing behind them, Hermione threw the glass vial so far away from her that it shattered against the wall and, almost as quickly as she had crumbled, she now looked determined. She looked angry.

'Harry, it's them. Dolohov and Mulciber, the ones who escaped … I was at Malfoy Manor because I wanted to interview some of the House-Elves. I barely even got started and the Death Eaters broke through the wards - before we knew it they were attacking the manor.'

Everyone stared at her in horror except her two best friends.

'Hermione, how did you get away?' Ginny asked, her hand gripping her mother's as she spoke.

'It was Malfoy – Draco, I mean – as soon as we heard them coming he threw me into one of the broom cupboards on the ground floor. I think he knew that if they saw me first they would have killed me instantly, I didn't even get a chance to fight. He locked the door so I was trapped in there but I could hear him and his father trying to fight them off … Harry, it was awful. Dolohov kept shouting about "traitors" and taunting them, I don't know how long they're going to last … I disapparated as soon as I came to my senses.'

'Right,' Harry said, his jaw set, 'Hermione you stay here with everyone else and me and Ron will –'

'Don't be so thick, Harry, you don't even know how to get there! Or how to navigate the manor! I'm going with you, whether you like it or not!'

Ron clearly wasn't going to wait any longer.

'Look, we don't know how they managed to find the Malfoys or take down the wards so we can't risk leaving this place unprotected.'

'George and Percy will stay here with everyone,' Mr. Weasley interrupted, a look on his face that no one had seen since the War, 'Charlie and I are coming with you, we're the best at duelling. The more people we have, the quicker we can take them down.'

'Okay,' Harry said, 'Hermione will take us by side-along first and then come back for you two. We need to get there as quickly as possible.'

A few members of the group – Ginny and George most of all – looked outraged that they were being left behind. Harry silenced his fiancé with a kiss.

'We'll be back in no time. Seven of us against two of them. We'll owl you when it's over.'

With that, he strode back over to Hermione and grabbed her right hand, whilst Ron took her left after giving Parvati a quick hug.

Trying to picture the manor clearly in her mind, Hermione turned on the spot , dragging her two best friends along with her.

And with a _crack_ they had gone.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

 _1_ _st_ _February 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. The Front Gate._

As soon as the trio appeared on the outskirts of the manor, they could hear the battle taking place in the main hall. From what Harry could tell it sounded as if all four of them were still duelling each other, which he felt a little thankful for. He didn't really know how close Hermione was to the Malfoys now – particularly in light of what Ginny had told him – but he was convinced if they had found one of them seriously injured, or worse, she would never have forgiven herself.

'Go back for the others, Hermione,' he said to her, trying to break her out of a reverie she seemed to be having, 'Hermione, now!'

She shook her head lightly and then nodded, disapparating on the spot.

'You know the strategy we usually take, Ron. I'll scope the area to make sure there isn't anyone else out there giving them a hand. We'll take the front door and the others can find a different entrance. The element of surprise will put us at another advantage.'

Before either of them could move, there was another _crack_ and Hermione reappeared with Mr. Weasley and Charlie in tow, both of them rolling up their sleeves and brandishing their wands.

'Hermione, I need you to take Arthur and Charlie to another entrance somewhere around the manor. A balcony or a patio door or something. If we approach them from different sides, we can attack from there.

' _Homenum Revelio!'_

Harry felt as his wand searched the grounds and gritted his teeth as he discovered that there was no one else there bar the people already counted for. He turned to everyone else.

'We're secure. Let's go. Now.'

Hermione grabbed the other two men once more and disappeared almost instantly. Harry and Ron separated themselves by a few feet and began to run stealthily towards the wall facing them. It was never wise to head directly for the front door in case anyone spotted them.

It took them less than a couple of minutes to throw themselves behind a couple of bushes and they could now hear the battle going on inside.

'You're never going to win, Malfoy!'

Harry recognised the voice almost instantly as Dolohov's and he felt the blood in his veins rise to boiling point. The man who killed Remus. Who had cursed Hermione so badly that she still had the scars all over her abdomen.

He knew that Ron was reacting in the same way. With a small shake of his head, he signalled to his friend to hold off before attacking. He needed to be sure of what position their enemies stood in.

Neither Malfoy had bothered to reply to the taunt, clearly focussing all their energies into battling the skilled Death Eaters.

Ron signalled to him to perform Disillusionment Charms. Harry nodded once and tapped the top of his head, recognising the familiar feeling of an egg being broken over his skull and trickling down his back.

With that, they both stalked quietly towards the front doors of the manor, which were open. The battle was getting even fiercer and they couldn't move in just yet or they would end up getting hit by a deflection.

Harry wondered how far away Hermione and the others were and hoped that she had the sense not to just barge in.

 _No,_ he thought, _Hermione was a lot smarter than that._

'TILLY, NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?'

They recognised Draco's voice as the one who was screaming. Another voice came out of nowhere.

 _'You will not harm my Masters!'_

Harry and Ron both stood at the entrance of the manor to see Dolohov and Mulciber on one side of main hall, battling fiercely with Lucius and Draco respectively. What they didn't notice at first was the small, extremely old House-Elf who stood in the no man's land between the two parties, her hands raised and shooting small curses towards the Death Eaters.

And before anyone could move, Harry saw Mulciber raise his wand in a movement he had seen many times before and directed it straight towards the brave, old Elf.

' _Avada Kedavra!'_

'NO!'

Harry and Ron rushed into the fray at the same time as Hermione, Charlie and Mr. Weasley appeared through another door at the end of the hall and so many spells were firing in the same direction that no one knew who had done it.

Within seconds, all duelling had ceased and four bodies now lay across the floor.

Dolohov and Mulciber were who Harry was primarily concerned with and he rushed over to their side of the hall, removing the Disillusionment Charm as he went. He heard a cry behind him as he moved, like a wounded animal, but he did not turn back.

He could feel Ron beside him as they checked the bodies.

Mulciber was dead. The Killing Curse had obviously been cast but identifying who had actually killed him could wait.

Dolohov, on the other hand, was alive – but barely. Harry recognised the signs of someone having cast Sectumsempra upon his body and he began working on the counter curse almost instantly, desperate to have at least one Death Eater to throw into Azkaban.

Ron, however, was watching the scene taking place behind him.

Draco Malfoy was another one of the bodies, but he was still moving. His legs had obviously been paralyzed. He didn't seem to care. All he fought for at that moment was to drag himself towards the fourth body lying in the centre of the hallway: tiny and thin, her eyes wide open and looking as if she had simply been frozen.

Charlie and Mr. Weasley didn't know what to do at this point other than to help Harry and Ron with the attackers and so they moved to the opposite side of the room.

Hermione still stood rooted to the spot where she had entered the fight - and she was sobbing. Her hands were over her mouth and her shoulders shook as she watched Draco Malfoy cradle the body of Tilly, the House-Elf, who lay dead upon the floor. He, too, was crying and even though he was seriously injured nothing would stop the incessant tears that rolled down his face as he guarded the body of his defender.

'Tilly … Tilly …' he whispered, shaking her lightly. Almost as if he was trying to wake her up from a deep sleep.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing … in a way that made it all the more heart wrenching. The Malfoy son, who she couldn't have imagined having a shred of compassion for the creatures who worked for his family, would not be moved as he wept over the small figure who had been taken from them.

Her feet began to move of their own accord towards the intimate scene, one hand clutching at her lower left arm as she knelt before the body of the oldest House-Elf she had ever seen.

Hermione's tears had not stopped, but her shaking hands had calmed enough so she could place one of them upon the shoulder of her old enemy, trying her best to give him any sort of comfort.

A tall, lone figure stepped beside them and his gaunt, pale face looked down into the eyes of the Elf that had tried to save their lives. He showed no emotion at first but Hermione noticed, as he watched his son in so much pain, that his hands began to tremble and he too knelt down beside them with a now sombre expression upon his face.

A hand on her shoulder brought Hermione back to reality and she realised that Harry was speaking to her.

'Stay here, Hermione. Please. Ron and I are taking Dolohov and Mulciber to the Ministry to be properly identified. Mulciber is dead. I need you to stay here with the Malfoys because they will need to be questioned. I'll also send a healer to look at Draco. Can you do that for me?'

She nodded her head at her best friend, tears building in her eyes again even as he turned away from her to continue his job. Mr. Weasley went with the two boys, but Charlie had obviously been left behind to take care of her. She didn't need it.

Hermione's eyes travelled back to Draco and she realised that her hand was still on his shoulder. He had not moved it, for which she was grateful. She needed this. To comfort him. Because as far as she was concerned, this was all her fault.

She should have gotten here sooner … should have been stronger in front of her friends so they hadn't wasted so much time trying to calm her down.

The guilt was eating her alive.

'I'm sorry,' she muttered, speaking to anyone who would listen, 'I am _so, so sorry._ '

Not being able to take any more, she rose from her position next to the younger Malfoy and stood, taking in the scene around her.

Broken ornaments and pieces of furniture were lined everywhere and the walls were scorched with the marks of curses that had been deflected towards them. However, she felt too fragile to repair anything now.

And then Charlie was standing beside her, with an arm wrapped around her shoulders, as she fell to pieces once more.

How many more brave Elves needed to die for this? A Wizard's war? It was unfair … it was wrong.

Her grip was still strong on her left arm and it was beginning to bruise.

Lucius Malfoy had noticed. He had noticed everything. The young woman who had risked her life coming back here to save them … she was broken.

He knew why she wouldn't let go of her arm. Knew the exact word that had been carved into her skin all those years ago and in this very house by a woman he had once considered a member of his family.

And all of a sudden, guilt began to eat him up too.

 _Crack._

Lucius turned his head as two figures appeared at the front door, one of them quite clearly a Healer and the other being Arthur Weasley.

Arthur directed the Mediwitch towards his son, who had calmed a little in the last few minutes but who hadn't moved his body from the side of the Elf's. The Healer kneeled down next to him and pulled out her wand, muttering spells under her breath as she checked the extent of the damage.

Weasley walked towards his son and his companion, the older man's face the picture of concern as he took in the state of Hermione's wellbeing.

Taking one last look at her, Lucius then turned away, focussing on watching the progress of the Healer.

'How is he?' he managed to ask, his voice cracked from the intensity he had been using it with earlier.

'Thankfully, there appears to be no lasting damage,' the Healer replied, 'He will, however, need plenty of bedrest after I have fixed him up. It shouldn't take any longer than a couple of hours … the curse doesn't seem to be too strong. Would you prefer me to take him to St. Mungo's or will I just carry him to one of the family bedrooms?'

'If you could, he needs to be here,' Lucius replied, looking at his son with an unreadable expression, 'Ministry officials will be returning soon for a report on the incident. We need to be present for it.'

The Healer nodded in acknowledgement and conjured a stretcher next to the body of Draco before lifting him onto it.

Draco did not move now, nor did he speak. He was completely silent as Lucius showed the Healer where to take him so that he could be rested. He stayed with his son only for a few minutes before he decided he was in good enough hands for him to return downstairs.

As Lucius came down the staircase, he noticed that Granger was kneeling beside his fallen servant again. Her small right hand, that had once been gripping her scar, was now stroking Tilly's head. Her left hand reached out and closed the old Elf's eyelids, in a manner so gentle that it was almost too emotional to watch.

He came to stand next to her, but not really knowing what to say. If it hadn't been for her, it could have been his son lying next to Tilly as well. He owed her everything.

He decided to speak.

'Someone needs to tell the other House-Elves,' Lucius said to her and she turned to him, her deep brown eyes still wet from tears. He could not look at her.

'How long has she been with you?' Hermione asked suddenly, her hand still lightly caressing the Elf's hair.

'Since before I was born. Tilly has always been with our family, from the very beginning. She was an immense help with Draco when he was born too. Tilly was a good Elf.'

To his horror, the girl began to cry again, her eyes screwed up as if she couldn't bear to hear what he was saying to her.

He had never been good at comforting crying women … or anyone who cried, for that matter. Narcissa had never cried in front of him and Draco did it very rarely when he was a child. Lucius hadn't much experience.

Nonetheless, he did what he thought was best at that moment and patted Hermione Granger awkwardly on the shoulder and grimacing slightly as he did so.

'There, there,' he said, trying not to think about how ridiculous he sounded … but it seemed to do the trick. The woman was so shocked at his attempt to comfort her that she stopped crying almost immediately and looked at him questioningly.

'Why are you being so nice to me? If it wasn't for me, Tilly wouldn't be dead.'

Lucius raised his eyebrows at her in amazement, his hand still sitting on her shoulder.

'I do hope you are joking, Miss Granger,' he replied, in a quiet voice, 'If it wasn't for your quick action in contacting your friends, it could have been many more of us lying dead next to her. You saved my son and you also saved me. On the contrary, I'm not being nice enough for all you have done for us today.'

He could see that, although she was taking in his words, she didn't believe them. Shaking her head slightly and taking the small hand of the Elf's in her own, she replied.

'No. I could have been quicker. I should have been here faster. But I froze and I panicked and wasted far too much time wallowing in my own grief at having to witness another Death Eater attack. Maybe if I had –'

'Don't think like that,' Lucius interrupted, his hand gripping her shoulder even tighter, 'There is nothing more you could have done. Tilly would have defended us until the end and she was an old House-Elf. Her reflexes weren't what they used to be. You have nothing to feel guilty for and I am extremely thankful that you came to see us - I mean, our House-Elves today.'

Hermione eventually gave the man a watery smile, sniffing a little as she attempted to look more composed.

Lucius reached into his pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, passing it to the young lady without a second thought. She thanked him quietly before dabbing at her eyes and blowing her nose elegantly.

'Look at me, making an absolute spectacle of myself,' she said to him with a small laugh, 'I apologise. But … the way that your son –'

She bit her lip and stopped from completing her sentence. The older man knew what she was going to say anyway.

'It may come as a surprise to you how much Draco was attached to that Elf … but she was his favourite. He'll want to bury her himself, I would imagine. They had a special bond that began when he was just a child.'

'I can see that,' Hermione replied, looking at him with a curious expression, 'I suppose I assumed from the way you were with Dobby that that was how you treated all of your House-Elves.'

'Oh, no, that creature was a very special case,' Lucius muttered, 'He was a cheeky little bastard at the best of times. He didn't like us very much, at all.'

'No, I don't think he did, funnily enough,' she retaliated with a laugh, still holding on to the handkerchief, 'But he was always meant to be free. He loved it. I never saw him happier than when he was with Harry.'

Lucius looked confused for a second.

'You talk of him in the past tense, as if … '

Hermione glanced at him with a sad expression.

'He died. The day we … the day we escaped from here.'

All of a sudden, Lucius removed his hand from her shoulder and placed it on his own knee, unable to look her in the face as he realised that his deranged sister-in-law had succeeded in murdering another. Now he remembered what had happened quite vividly.

'Well … I am sorry,' he said.

She understood well enough that there was a deeper meaning to that apology from the way he was acting and she found herself wanting to accept it.

 _Crack._

The sound of two people apparating into his home startled Lucius enough that he jumped to his feet and raised his wand. Hermione had done exactly the same.

It was Potter and Weasley, both of them looking rather agitated and who were quite clearly still in Auror mode. The latter walked towards his father and brother, who Lucius suddenly remembered were still with them. He did not fail to notice the strange looks that they were giving him and Miss Granger and he looked away as Potter began to approach.

'Are you alright, Hermione?' Harry asked, concern lacing his voice. The woman managed a smile.

'I'm fine, thanks. No injuries. Are you okay?'

'Yeah. Just finished handing them over to Law Enforcement who will deal with the rest of it. I do, unfortunately, have to make a report about this.'

He then turned to Lucius.

'Mr. Malfoy, I know this isn't exactly the best time, what with your son being injured and all, but I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. Could I speak to you somewhere private to discuss all this?'

Lucius, for reasons unknown to him, glanced at Hermione who gave him a small smile, as if encouraging him to go ahead.

'Yes, of course,' he replied, oblivious to the fact that Harry was looking incredulously between his best friend and the man before him, 'You may use the study, as it's just down the hall. I can take you to it.

'Miss Granger, I hope this won't be too much of a request, but I wonder if you would mind moving Tilly's body to a more appropriate place. Ask one of the gentlemen for me, if not. I would prefer it to be out of sight before Draco is able to walk again.'

'Of course, I'll do it,' Hermione said, looking determined and she immediately bent down to take the small creature in her arms.

The two men turned away from her as Harry signalled to Ron to accompany him.

Lucius knew he should feel relieved that this incident had come to a relatively successful conclusion. But he still couldn't shake that horrible feeling of guilt that sat on his shoulders.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

 _2_ _nd_ _February 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Kitchen._

It was a happy occasion.

The family were together once again to celebrate the engagement of George and Angelina, something they had tried to tell everyone the night before until they had been interrupted.

It was also to celebrate the capture of another two escaped Death Eaters as well as the fact that no one had been hurt in the collision that took place last night. The Weasleys felt like the most fortunate family in the world that day.

Harry, however, couldn't concentrate on the festivities.

He had had a long night, which was only made longer by the need to file a report on the incident at Malfoy Manor. It had taken a good couple of hours to question both of the Malfoys as well as Hermione and the Weasleys who had come to help, so that by the time he had actually finished writing it, it was already Saturday morning.

He rubbed his eyes a little, trying to squash the tiredness out of them. It wasn't only the attack that had caused him to worry.

No, it was the surprising – but nonetheless, obvious - blossoming friendship between Hermione and the Malfoy men. Never before had he doubted Ginny on her gut feelings about things, but he had done so yesterday … and been proven quite wrong.

The first thing he had done after arriving back at Grimmauld Place was to tell her everything that he had seen. She, however, had even more information.

'It wasn't just you who noticed, Harry,' she had said to him, whispering so that they wouldn't be overheard by anyone else, 'Dad and Charlie both came back with similar stories, saying that Hermione had been comforting Draco! Even more strangely, his father had been comforting _her_ –'

Ginny had stopped then, her face a mixture of confusion and aversion. He had patted her hand gently, trying to reassure her.

'I don't know what's going on,' he had admitted finally, 'But mark my words, I'm going to find out. Nonetheless … I honestly can't think that it's something wrong, or sinister. I saw it with my own eyes … they were just being kind to one another. Plus, there's a reason that Hermione works so hard to protect the welfare of House-Elves – accidents like last night are just proof for her that she's doing the right thing. The death of that Elf really hit her hard.'

'That's what I don't get,' Ginny had replied, a funny look on her face, 'Why does she care? Hermione didn't know the Elf at all. It had probably been mistreated. It was just a servant to them.'

Harry had simply shaken his head at her.

'I don't think so. Lucius asked Hermione to move the body for him so as not to upset his son. You should have seen the state of him, Ginny. The only other time I've seen Malfoy so fragile was in sixth year when… you know.'

The couple had talked on for an hour, dissecting everything in their friend's behaviour last night that could lead them to some logical conclusion, before they both fell into a light sleep as dawn was breaking.

Ginny had resolved to speak to Hermione when she came to the Burrow today, but so far she had not made an appearance.

It was difficult for them not to worry about her now, especially since her first visit to the Malfoy home since the War had resulted in a Death Eater attack and the murder of a House-Elf. The memory of Dobby was much too fresh to appreciate the irony of the situation.

They all knew Hermione's character – she was much like Harry in the respect that she would have found some way to blame herself for what had happened.

Ridiculous, of course, but Harry knew the feeling well.

Ron had been sent half an hour ago to Grimmauld Place to try and locate where Hermione was. They had left her in bed as they had departed for the Burrow at midday, understanding that she would be extremely tired after her ordeal. None of them blamed her.

Hermione Granger was a strong person, particularly in the face of any danger which threatened the lives of her friends. Yet the Wizarding world didn't expect to have to fight any more after the War had finished. The Aurors would round up those still on the run and that would be that.

Hermione had once confessed to her friends that she had hoped that would be the case for her as well. She was tired of it all now … and look how that had turned out for her.

 _Crack._

Harry and the rest of the party swung their heads towards the front gate, where Ron and Hermione had just appeared and were walking through.

Letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, Harry put his drink down on the kitchen table and walked outside, throwing Hermione a wide smile as he saw that she looked much better.

'Hello, Harry,' she greeted, a reproachful look in her eye, 'Ron's just been telling me how worried sick you've all been.'

Ron's ears flushed red and he rolled his eyes at her. He had obviously asked her not to share that information.

'So what if we were?' Harry retaliated, folding his arms and staring right back at her, 'You went through an ordeal last night, Hermione, it's only natural if –'

'Oh, don't be so ridiculous. I'm fine,' she interrupted, although both Harry and Ron noticed that she didn't look either of them in the eye as she said it. Instead, she turned to Ginny and Charlie, who had both appeared out on the front lawn and gave each of them a hug.

'Feeling alright, Hermione?' Charlie asked, he too looking a little concerned.

'For God's sake, you're all acting as if I was tortured or something. _I'm fine._ '

None of them believed her. With a groan and a roll of her eyes, Hermione shoved past them all and made her way inside, where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were waiting to greet her along with everyone else.

The four of them glanced at each other.

'Am I the only one who thinks she's lying?' Ron asked, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

'Of course she is,' Ginny admonished, looking through the kitchen window to make sure no one was eavesdropping, 'It's obvious. Not that I blame her. I don't know what I would have done had I been in that situation.'

'She was very brave,' Charlie added, looking thoughtful, 'Thanks to her there were no serious casualties … and it seems to me she will have gained a valuable ally in Lucius Malfoy.'

'I think Hermione _does_ consider the death of a House-Elf a serious casualty,' replied Harry, 'But I reckon there's more to why she's upset than that.'

'What do you mean?' Ron asked, looking confused.

'Well I don't know about you, mate, but I wouldn't necessarily know how to react if Lucius Malfoy began comforting _me_ either.'

The others laughed, but Harry was being deadly serious.

'Think about it … you go through your whole life thinking you hated someone and having them hate you in return. You're both on different sides during the War. You clash. Then, all of a sudden, you start to realise they have some redeeming features.'

'Oh, _please,_ ' Ron laughed, as Ginny snorted, 'The Malfoys? Redeeming features?'

'Draco saved her life too if you'll remember. By locking in her in that broom cupboard and keeping her out of sight he ensured her safety just as much as his own.'

'That's one good deed, Harry,' Charlie said, 'What other redeeming features do they actually have?'

'They protect their family,' Harry replied, looking out onto the horizon as it began to get dark, 'You can't expect much more from them than that.'

Ginny gave her fiancé a sad smile and she leaned her head against his shoulder as he fell silent. Ron, too, was now looking pensive.

'So that's it then?' Charlie spoke, his hands in his pockets, 'Hermione just doesn't know how to react to the Malfoys owing her their lives? Or for owing hers to them?'

'I don't know … it could be,' Ginny muttered, 'I know this for certain though. We should expect to see a lot more of them from now on.'

'Yeah,' Ron agreed, looking very serious, 'But that doesn't mean I have to like it. They can consider themselves on parole as far as I'm concerned. If they do right by Hermione, I may be able to get used to them … but if they don't, I will find _any_ excuse I can to throw them straight back into Azkaban.'


	14. Chapter 14

14.

 _3_ _rd_ _February 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. The Front Gate._

She wasn't really sure if she was welcome here.

Hermione stood just inside the gate, which had let her in without a fuss. Perhaps it remembered her presence here a couple of days ago.

Lucius and Draco had stated their intention of burying Tilly today … and she felt like she ought to pay her respects. She hoped that they didn't mind her being here. She wanted to be but would understand if they asked her to leave.

'Well I won't find out standing here,' she said to herself and began to walk towards the front door, a bouquet of hydrangeas in hand.

Hermione ignored the flashbacks that raced through her mind as she approached, reminding herself of her purpose here. This was not the time.

She reached out her hand to take hold of the large door knocker and chapped three times. The noise echoed inside the manor …

She waited ...

And she waited ...

The small tick of her watch alerted Hermione to the fact that she had been waiting for an answer for almost five minutes. She chapped the door once more and waited again.

Nothing.

Giving a small sigh, but determined not to give in, she stepped down from the front porch and began to scan the gardens that surrounded her, searching for any sign of life. It was only then she realised that someone had opened the door.

'Can I help you?' a cold voice asked and she spun around to see none other than Narcissa Malfoy standing there, her eyes glittering with malice. Although shocked to see her, Hermione cleared her throat a little before walking back towards the older woman, who looked almost outraged.

'Yes … I just came to pay my respects to your House-Elf. Tilly.'

The look on Mrs. Malfoy's face was not encouraging. Hermione half expected her to pull out her wand.

'I was not aware that you were welcome, Miss Granger,' the woman replied, not even pretending to be hospitable. A tinge of red flushed on Hermione's cheeks.

'Well … perhaps not,' she replied, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Hermione held out the flowers for the other woman to take. Narcissa simply glared at her.

 _Crack._

The two women jumped as another figure apparated into the gardens, his long hair tied at the nape of his neck and a long black cloak fluttering behind him. As he got closer to the scene, his eyes widened in surprise, but he did not look upset to see her.

'Miss Granger, what a surprise,' he commented, holding out his hand for her to shake, which she did, 'We weren't expecting any visitors today. The other House-Elves are completing the finishing touches to Tilly's grave … we buried her earlier this morning, you see. I suspect that is why Narcissa is guarding the door instead of them.'

He shot a quick look at his wife. Hermione cleared her throat again awkwardly but looked to Mr. Malfoy as she spoke.

'Yes, I'm terribly sorry to intrude. I just wanted to pay my respects to Tilly, even if I missed the funeral. I know it's not entirely proper –'

'Nonsense,' Lucius countermanded, with a wave of his gloved hand, 'Just because your visit is unexpected does not mean it is unwelcome. Step aside, Narcissa, before our guest freezes to death.'

The older woman looked as if she was going to start spouting obscenities at him. However, after a quick glare towards Hermione she swung round and departed swiftly, leaving the door open for the other two to walk inside. Lucius tutted as he heard the tell-tale sign of someone disapparating.

'I do apologise on behalf of Draco's mother,' he said to Hermione, an ugly glint in his eyes as he did so, 'It appears she has lost her manners somewhere in France.'

Hermione wanted to laugh, but wisely kept her mouth shut as she followed him into the hall. So _that's_ why Mrs. Malfoy had been mysteriously absent during the last two meetings.

'She was on holiday?' Hermione asked, as Lucius called for a House-Elf. One appeared almost instantly with a _crack_ and without needing any instruction, he took both of their jackets as well as Hermione's bouquet and left instantly.

Mr. Malfoy gave her an indiscernible half-smile.

'Well … a holiday of sorts. She came back to visit once we had informed her of the attack.'

Hermione was confused but didn't push the matter any further.

'How is Draco? I hope he has mostly recovered,' she asked him, as he led her to one of the sitting rooms.

'Oh, yes, he is in excellent health, thank you,' Lucius replied, opening one of the doors for her and bowing a little. She smiled in thanks and walked through into a cosy little room, complete with a roaring fireplace and an assortment of chairs. She noticed that Lucius did not accompany her inside.

'Please, do make yourself comfortable. If you'll forgive me, Miss Granger, I think I will alert Draco to your presence here. It is his wish to speak with you.'

'Oh,' was all Hermione could say as her cheeks coloured again. Why did he want to speak with _her_? With a tilt of his head, Malfoy was gone and she had been left alone.

Hermione didn't feel comfortable here in the slightest. Not that it wasn't a lovely room, but it was the memories that came back to her that caused her to feel uneasy. Voldemort had lived here for a considerable amount of time, after all. You don't forget something like that.

She sat down on the smallest chair she could find, with her back straight and one ankle tucked neatly behind the other. Was she just to twiddle her thumbs until someone came? She let her eyes wander around the room, taking note of the different ornaments and the artwork that brightened the dark, cold walls.

The silence in this house was unnerving. How the rest of them put up with it, she didn't know … but then again this had been their home for their entire lives. They would probably be used to it by now.

Her hands fiddled with one another, as her nerves built up. She needed to get a grip of herself.

All of a sudden, the door opened again and Hermione stood up as the younger Malfoy wandered in, a cane in his right hand that steadied his movements. She went to go and help him, but he anticipated the move before she had even made it clear what she was doing.

'If there's one thing I plan on doing, Granger, it's to knock out of you that irritating habit you have of helping people. I am not an invalid, I can walk by myself. Sit yourself down.'

Hermione had to bite on her lip to stop from laughing at him, which he might not have appreciated given his physical state. Instead, she took a seat and watched the man across from her take the nearest one to the fire, resting his cane on the wall and relaxing into it.

'How are you?' she plucked up the courage to ask, noticing the slight strain on his face as he stretched out his right leg.

'Under the circumstances, I consider myself to be a medical miracle,' he replied drily to her and she chuckled, 'Could have been a lot worse. Good thing I managed to cast a Shield charm which took the brunt of the curse.'

Of course. Hermione had discovered yesterday that it had been Dolohov who had cast the curse which paralyzed Draco. She hated him even more for it. She had also discovered that it had been Lucius who had killed Mulciber. The thought should have frightened her … but, after all, he had been attacked in his own home, his son had been injured and his House-Elf had been killed. Harry didn't seem to care due to it being in self-defence, so she decided that neither should she. The fact that Mulciber had murdered Tilly made her feel even more unforgiving.

She had wanted to talk to Draco about her after the state she saw him in the other day. However, she doubted he would take very well to her prying into something that was so personal to him and decided to keep her mouth shut. He didn't seem to want to bring it up so Hermione wouldn't either.

The door beside them opened once again and Lucius Malfoy wandered in with a tray in his hands, holding tea and biscuits.

'I hope you are thirsty, Miss Granger,' he said as he placed the tray down on a nearby coffee table, 'The House-Elves were delighted when I asked them to prepare this. We don't get very many guests anymore.'

Hermione wanted to scold him for making the Elves do more work than necessary, but he was being so kind that she simply thanked him instead. She also had never expected to see him carrying out the duties of a servant and it was strangely endearing.

'Milk and sugar?' he asked her, as he began to pour three separate cups.

'Just milk, thank you,' she replied, giving him a smile when he brought over her cup and saucer. Lucius was looking strangely cheerful – well, as cheerful as a Malfoy _could_ look - and Hermione wondered why on earth that was.

'Am I getting any tea, father? Or have you forgotten that I am the ill one here?'

Hermione tried very hard not to spit out the sip of tea she had just taken and watched in amusement as his father rolled his eyes.

'You know well enough that guests come first, regardless of your current physical state,' he replied, handing his son a cup as well before setting himself down on a seat across from Hermione.

She could not help but feel like this was the strangest thing that had ever happened to her. Not even her discovery of dragons and unicorns existing came close, when she realised that she was drinking tea with her former enemies in Malfoy Manor.

 _Former enemies,_ she thought to herself, realising that was what she now saw them as. If they weren't her enemies any more, what were they?

'I hope you are well, Miss Granger,' a voice asked and she turned to see Lucius waiting expectantly for an answer.

'Oh,' she gasped, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks, 'I'm very well, thank you.'

'I'm glad to hear it.'

God, what the bloody hell was going on! Lucius Malfoy enquiring after her health, him and his son teasing each other in her company and sharing tea with them!?

Draco took his turn to speak.

'Look, Granger, I understand that this is a bit … odd,' he acknowledged.

'Yes, it is a bit,' Hermione replied with a small laugh as she set her tea down on her lap.

'If it's any consolation, it is for us too,' Draco continued, 'We haven't exactly been bosom buddies … but I hope, and my father agrees with me, that we can all keep the past in the past. After all, you did save our lives on Friday.'

She knew this was going to come up eventually and had had a whole speech planned in her head – but when faced with two very imposing men it was difficult to stay composed.

'I don't want any gratitude,' she said quickly, trying not to sound too ungrateful, 'I hardly did anything. Only what anyone else would have done. _You_ saved me too, remember?'

But Lucius shook his head at her.

'I think not, Miss Granger. You are most definitely not _anyone else._ Our family isn't the most popular in the Wizarding world at the moment … understandably. I doubt very many people would have come to our aid the way you did.'

Hermione could barely comprehend what they were saying to her, so overwhelmed was she about the entire situation. They stated things so matter-of-factly that it unnerved her.

'I only … well, I didn't …' she stuttered, unable to look either of them in the face, 'We all make mistakes, myself included … no one deserves to be attacked in their own home. I only did what I thought was right.'

Silence fell upon them after her little speech and she did not raise her head from her cup once due to embarrassment.

'We will not thank you any more, for it is clear we are distressing you.'

Her head shot up.

'No, I honestly didn't mean it like that, I just –'

Mr. Malfoy held up a hand so he could finish. Hermione fell silent.

'From now on myself and my son will do our utmost to assist you with your House-Elf campaign. Even if it means working night and day to get what you want to achieve. I think that is the most appropriate way to honour Tilly's memory, don't you agree?'

Her head was bowed down low again as quickly as it had shot up and her eyes began to get a little wet. She could hear Draco clear his throat loudly next to the fireplace and she composed herself very quickly.

'You have no idea how much that means, sir,' Hermione said to him, giving the man a watery smile as she placed her empty cup of tea onto a nearby table.

'There's no need for conventions like that anymore, I think,' Mr. Malfoy said to her, a slight smirk gracing his face, 'We are much past that now. Please, call me Lucius.'

Hermione laughed a little awkwardly and she saw Draco scowl slightly in the corner and roll his eyes. He began to stand up, taking hold of his cane.

'Always the charmer, father. I wouldn't expect me to call you anything other than Granger, I'm afraid. I think the world might end if we started calling each other by our first names.'

'Agreed,' she laughed, as she turned back to his father, 'And if that is the case, you must call me Hermione. Miss Granger just reminds me of when I was still at school.'

'Ah, we couldn't have that,' Lucius replied, as he too stood from his chair, 'If you will allow me to say it, you are not the same person I met in Flourish and Blotts all those years ago.'

He came to stand before her and offered her his arm. Hermione took it kindly as they heard Draco mutter on his way out of the door.

'Oh, I'm not so sure about that. She's still an insufferable bloody know-it-all.'


	15. Chapter 15

15.

 _25_ _th_ _February 2002. Ministry of Magic. First Level. Minister of Magic's Office._

'I don't think there will be any issues with that, Hermione,' Kingsley stated, looking at the pieces of parchment she had handed to him not moments before, 'Seems like an excellent way to spread news of the campaign. Get more people on board. _'Ministry Charity Fundraiser, hosted by the Being Division.'_ I'm sure the free bar will be enough incentive for everyone.'

Hermione laughed lightly, feeling more relaxed now that Kingsley had approved of her plans. It was something she and the Malfoys had been working diligently since the day after Tilly's burial. Father and son had come to the Ministry every day, Monday to Friday, for three weeks so they could finalise details for the event. Finally – after many disagreements – they had all agreed last week to approach the Minister as soon as possible about it. He seemed pleased with the plans which would make this a lot easier.

'So … formal dress, yes?'

'Of course,' Hermione replied, her hands clasped together on the desk as she leaned forward, 'That was something that Lucius and Draco were insistent upon.'

Kingsley almost rolled his eyes.

'Why does that not surprise me … it will make for a more classy event, I suppose, which is what you want. So what are the main ways you will be raising money on the actual night?'

'Well we're thinking of holding a small auction, with some antique pieces available for anyone to bid on. We'll make it inclusive for everyone, of course. I think Draco is going to approach someone from Magical Games and Sports to see if they can throw anything in as well. We'll also be holding a raffle for various prizes and people can buy tickets either beforehand or at the door on the 16th. We've managed to wangle some free tickets to the next Weird Sisters gig in London, which I am sure will be popular with the masses.'

'Couldn't you just hire them to play on the night?'

'Don't get me started,' Hermione said, rolling her eyes, 'I've already had a lecture from Lucius as to why the Weird Sisters are the worst thing to happen to music since Celestina Warbeck _and_ how completely inappropriate they are for a Ministry event. Not going to happen.'

Kingsley chuckled as he went over the rest of the details with a fine-tooth comb.

'I'm assuming you're going to be making some form of speech?'

'I might say a few words in thanks, but mainly due to the fact it was my idea to plan it. Overall, I think it might be better if someone else from the department takes charge of the main speech. I know what I get like about House-Elf rights and I'll end up boring everyone to tears. I've asked Melinda to appoint who she thinks would be best.'

'Good, good … and the Malfoys are paying for all of this, are they?' the Minister asked.

'Oh, yes,' she replied, smiling widely, 'They have been extremely helpful. Not just financially but with the planning as well. They know what they're doing, whereas I haven't a lot of experience with things like this.'

'Right. Well it looks wonderful, I'll make sure to free up my evening. Do you want memos sent to the departments then?'

'If you would be so kind, yes, and could you possibly put something up on the notice boards in the Atrium as well? I want to get as many people as possible to come. If you could inform them that it's an adult-only event and there is a maximum of three tickets per Ministry employee. Only so many people we can accommodate, after all.'

'No problem at all, Hermione, I'll get on it today. The 16th of March at 7pm.'

'That's it,' she confirmed and reached out to shake the Minister's hand, 'I'll just leave the parchment with you, shall I? Just in case anyone has any questions. They can always come and speak to me up at the office as well.'

'I'll let everyone know,' Kingsley declared, rising from his seat to escort Hermione to the door, 'I'm sure the event will go down very well.'

'I do hope so,' Hermione said, looking a little nervous, 'I just know what people get like when it comes to Beasts and Beings rights.'

'You have nothing to worry about,' the Minister reassured her as he opened the door and led them out into the corridor, 'I will make it perfectly clear that there is to be no trouble. It's all for a good cause.'

They stopped just outside Kingsley's door and the older man sighed happily, giving Hermione a small smile and patting her on the shoulder.

'They'd all be really proud of you, you know. You, Harry and Ron. Remus and Mad-Eye always said that you would go on to do incredible things for this Ministry.'

Hermione gave Kingsley a feeble smile and hit him lightly on the arm.

'Stop it. You're going to make me cry,' she sniffled, as he laughed, 'Merlin, I miss them so much at times. And Dumbledore.'

'Whenever I go to visit Minerva, she and Dumbledore are always asking after the three of you. You should meet with them more often. It's good to keep in touch with old members of the Order.'

And a thought suddenly popped into Hermione's head.

'Oh, do invite Professor McGonagall, won't you? I know she will be busy at the school, but I would love it if she could make it.'

'I'll speak to her,' Kingsley smiled and with that he clapped Hermione on the back and said goodbye.

She turned away and began to wander back to her own office, glad that the meeting went well, but now in a rather depressed mood thanks to Kingsley.

She hated the fact that so many of them were gone. Harry also struggled with it at times, particularly on the anniversaries of Sirius and Remus' deaths. Hermione had had to comfort him on a number of occasions, but it always broke her heart that all of his father's school friends had passed on.

It might be worthwhile taking Kingsley's advice, she thought, as she hit the button for level four on the elevator. Maybe it would make her feel better speaking to Professor McGonagall every once in a while. She missed Hogwarts just as much sometimes and she had been asked to visit on a number of occasions.

As she stepped out of the elevator, completely engrossed in her thoughts, Hermione didn't notice the figure standing in front of her and subsequently crashed into the gentleman's back.

Stumbling backwards – but thankfully, not falling over – she started to apologise profusely as the man turned around.

'Ah, Hermione,' greeted Lucius Malfoy, 'No need to worry, it's quite alright. I was just looking for you.'

'Oh, right,' Hermione replied, trying not to show how flustered she was feeling, 'Sorry, I was in a meeting with the Minister.'

'Yes, so I have just been informed,' he said, looking at her questioningly, 'Are you quite alright? You look a little ruffled.'

Hermione's cheeks turned even redder as she replied, 'Oh, it's nothing. Nothing to worry about.'

He didn't look like he was about to drop the subject and so she interrupted him.

'What was it you had wanted to discuss with me?'

Lucius gave her a slightly scolding look but answered anyway.

'I had just wanted to ask if you would mind popping around to the manor on Saturday. I have hired a planner for the event next month and she wants to discuss table decorations –'

' _Table decorations,_ ' Hermione repeated, looking horrified, 'We aren't planning a _wedding_ , Lucius, it's just a Ministry event.'

'Don't argue with me, it's important everything is done properly,' he continued, disregarding what she had said, 'So, I need you to be there to approve everything. Are you free at 10am?'

She rolled her eyes a little.

'Fine, if it's so important to you.'

'Marvellous,' Lucius replied, lifting his arm up to take a look at his watch, 'Would you care to join me for lunch? I have no idea what time you usually take your breaks at but you look like you need some time away from the office.'

Hermione scowled at him. Of course he wasn't going to give it a rest.

'Fine,' she finally conceded, as he nodded in approval , 'Just let me grab my bag.'

So, five minutes later, Hermione and Lucius found themselves walking through the Atrium towards the disapparation point, and the former found herself getting slightly irritated at the number of whispers and looks that were being thrown their way from various employees. Almost everyone in the Ministry was now aware that Hermione and the Malfoys were working together – office gossip travelled very far in this place – but not everyone was as supportive as her own colleagues had been. It ticked her off enormously.

'Ignore them,' Hermione said to him, making sure to hold her head up high as she walked past the Fountain of Magical Brethren.

'You don't need to tell me that, my dear,' he replied, looking just as dignified as she was, 'I know of a lovely little café in Mayfair that might suit for a light lunch. Is that agreeable to you?'

'That sounds lovely,' she said with a smile, 'You don't mind taking me by Side-Along?'

'Of course not.'

'Hey, Hermione!'

She turned around in an instant to see Harry and Ron rushing towards them and she gave them a small smile.

'Hello, boys! How's things? Department been keeping you busy today?'

'You have no idea,' Ron replied, looking put out, 'I certainly didn't sign up for paperwork when I took this job.'

Hermione and Harry laughed a little and it was the latter that noticed Lucius standing slightly behind her first.

'Oh, good afternoon, Lucius.'

'Good afternoon, Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley.'

Ron nodded his head in acknowledgement, but glanced at Hermione with a slightly irritated look.

'We're just popping out for some lunch. Need to get some fresh air. I would ask you to join but –'

'It's a little celebration,' Lucius interrupted, coming to stand at Hermione's side, 'Our mutual friend here has just finished presenting to the Minister what I am sure will be the event of the season – a charity fundraiser in aid of her new House-Elf campaign.'

Hermione blushed a little but laughed it off, scolding him.

'It's not _that_ big a deal, Lucius, and I have not been the only one planning. You and Draco have been a fantastic help.'

'Nonsense, we have done nothing but fill in the gaps. You are far too modest.'

The two men watched this interaction with incredulity, partly torn between astonishment at how comfortable the couple seemed with one another and annoyance for the exact same reason.

'Well done, Hermione, that's great,' Harry commented, with a small grin, 'Well, we won't keep you …'

'Oh, yes! Of course,' Hermione said, swinging her handbag across her shoulder, 'I'll see you both on Friday. You're still having drinks in the Leaky for your birthday, Ron?'

'Yeah, I'll see you then.'

'Bye, Hermione.'

In a matter of seconds, Lucius had held out his arm for Hermione to take and with a _crack_ they were both gone.

Grimacing a little, Harry could feel Ron building up to a rant and cut him off.

'We can't say anything!' he reminded his best friend with a stern look, 'You said yourself that until either of them put a foot out of line you would say nothing about it. And they haven't, have they?'

Ron scowled.

'That doesn't make me feel any better about the fact that Hermione is going on lunch dates with Lucius _bloody_ Malfoy.'


	16. Chapter 16

16.

 _25_ _th_ _February 2002. Mayfair. London._

Lucius did not ask Hermione to remove her arm from his as they walked, so she didn't feel the need to bother.

'And where is it you have chosen to take us?'

' _Café de la Terre,_ ' he replied without looking at her, trying to navigate his way through the streets, 'I have frequented it before many times with Narcissa and Draco, I'm sure you will enjoy it.'

Hermione simply nodded and allowed herself to be steered towards their destination. As it happened, it was only a short walk away and she saw the sign for a quaint little café situated on a quiet street corner (something for which she was thankful).

'After you,' Lucius stated, holding the door open for her and she stepped into the loveliest little café she had ever seen in her life – and that was including the ones she had been to in the South of France.

'Wow,' was all she said, as a waiter appeared to take their jackets and show them to a table.

'The usual place,' she heard Lucius mutter to the young man and they were led to a very secluded corner of the café where, Hermione realised, they could comfortably talk about anything magical without the fear of being overheard.

'Thank you,' she said to the waiter as they took their seats. He nodded.

'Can I take your drinks order?'

'I'll have a soda and lime, please,' Hermione asked. Lucius raised an eyebrow.

'Wouldn't you like a glass of wine?'

'Not if I want to continue the article I was working on with the same meticulousness as before,' she smirked at him and he gave a small laugh.

'I will have a glass of your Merlot.'

The waiter disappeared with a flash and left them to look at their menus. There wasn't a huge amount of choice, Hermione noticed, but that only made her like the place even more.

'There is nothing worse than having to choose from one hundred different meals in a restaurant, don't you think?'

'Oh, I quite agree,' Lucius replied, pouring a glass of water for Hermione from the jug that already lay on the table, 'I have very simple taste when it comes to food.'

'Really?' she asked, an eyebrow raised in surprise, 'I wouldn't have suspected that. Don't you Malfoys always rattle on about having the best of the best?'

'Oh, very witty. I like comfort, Hermione, which isn't exactly the same thing. My son, however, I cannot vouch for.'

'No, indeed,' she continued to tease, taking a sip of her water, 'I quite clearly recall him being able to buy his way onto the Slytherin Quidditch team with a few Nimbus 2001's.'

Lucius didn't look the least bit abashed.

'I hate to say it about my own son, but he would never have gotten on the team any other way,' he admitted, to Hermione's shout of laughter, 'Once again, however, I feel I have to remind you that we Slytherins are a sneaky bunch. My boy wanted on the team, so I achieved it for him.'

She was enjoying herself so much that she didn't notice the waiter returning with their drinks. Smiling at Lucius fondly, she shook her head.

'I doubt Draco is going to appreciate you telling me that, somehow.'

'Oh, I'm sure you can use it as leverage the next time you see him.'

'Not much need now, really. I already told him as much in my second year.'

'You did?' Lucius replied, looking quite amused.

'I believe my exact words were 'at least no one in Gryffindor had to buy their way in, they got in on pure talent.'

She chuckled as he tutted and rolled his eyes at her and they each took a sip of their drinks.

'I can now see why Draco disliked you so much. Anyone who outsmarted him was immediately considered an enemy.'

'Yes, well, let's not travel down that road,' Hermione grimaced, taking another look at the menu and deciding to just have soup and a roll. All of a sudden, the menu was snatched out of her hand when the waiter reappeared as Lucius handed them both over.

'I will have the roasted pepper and chicken ciabatta with a side of butternut squash soup. The lady will have the same.'

' _Excuse me,_ ' Hermione interrupted, grabbing the waiter's arm before he disappeared, 'I can order for myself, thank you very much. Can I have the carrot and coriander soup please with a plain white roll on the side?'

The waiter nodded towards her, obviously trying not to snigger at the indignant look on her face. Lucius looked surprise.

'" _The lady will have the same",_ indeed,' she mumbled in a mocking tone, taking another sip of her soda.

'I do apologise … I usually ordered for Narcissa whenever she came here.'

'Yes, well, I am not your wife and I can choose my own lunch, thanks,' Hermione replied seriously, 'And _ladies_ belong in courts and ballrooms. I am a woman, not a lady.'

Lucius smirked at her, taking pleasure at the sight of her flushed face and delectable scowl.

'I'm afraid I must disagree with you there, Hermione. You are very much a lady.'

She rolled her eyes at him as he laughed, eventually cracking a small smile as she noticed how at ease he was.

'That will be a Pureblood custom, I suppose?' she dared to ask, glancing at him as she took another drink.

'I suppose it is,' Lucius replied, looking thoughtful, 'I have never really thought about it before.'

She frowned slightly.

'Hmm, maybe not. I am used to more Muggle customs – where women have the same rights and opportunities as men do.'

She noticed that he made a face as she said that and it irritated her a little.

'Muggles have some really interesting ideas you know. They're great innovators, Lucius, and their culture is continually progressing –'

'Yes, yes, spare me your lecture,' he retaliated, looking just as annoyed, 'I don't need to hear about how _wonderful_ Muggles are, thank you very much.'

'Well you don't seem to have much of a problem eating their food, do you?'

'That is completely different.'

' _How_ is it different?'

'Because it just is, alright?'

'What a wonderful argument you're building yourself there, I am _mightily_ impressed.'

'Ah, my purpose in life. To impress the great Hermione Granger.'

'Don't patronise me, Lucius.'

'Then stop acting in such a ridiculous manner. It's unbecoming.'

Hermione was practically hissing at him by this point.

'It's a very good thing I don't live to gain your approval then, isn't it?'

'I hasten to add that even if you were you would be failing miserably by this point.'

'You are absolutely incorrigible.'

'Thank you, my dear, I take that as a compliment.'

She bit back another retort as their waiter returned with their food. Thankfully, it all looked delicious enough that Hermione decided to put off reigniting their argument and began to tuck into her lunch. With a little groan of pleasure, she took the first taste of her carrot and coriander soup and discovered it was heavenly. She deliberately ignored Lucius as he stared at her – she imagined he was inspecting her table manners - until it got so annoying that she looked up from her plate with a scowl.

' _What?_ '

The man simply cleared his throat loudly and returned to his soup with a shake of his head, not bothering to answer her question.

They sat in silence for the remainder of the meal, Hermione too irritated to strike up a conversation. It was only when the waiter returned to collect their now empty plates that Lucius deigned to ask her a question.

'Was your meal satisfactory?'

'Oh, it was wonderful, thank you,' Hermione replied, an unpleasant tone in her voice, 'I made a fantastic choice.'

Lucius was now scowling himself.

'You don't need to be such a brat, I asked you a simple question.'

'And I answered it the way _I_ felt like answering it. Sorry if you're so unused to women doing whatever they like.'

'You are taking this completely out of context.'

'Am I? Because it definitely sounds like your archaic views are –'

'Oh, yes, my views are the ones that are the problem.'

'Of course they are the ones with the problem, you _order_ for your wife because you have this ridiculous notion that females cannot make any decision for themselves.'

'Do not bring that woman into this.'

'" _That woman"_ now, is she? What a wonderful husband you are, she must feel so lucky.'

'You don't know what you are talking about, girl, so I suggest you keep your mouth shut.'

' _Make me._ '

His eyes blazed. How he wanted to make her shut up. He would give anything to be able to reach over the table, grab the insufferable chit by the hair and –

The images that unwillingly popped into his head made him stop. Biting his tongue, he could not look at her and waved over the waiter to ask for the bill, pulling out his wallet in an instant.

'I can pay for my own half,' he heard her state but he ignored it and handed a handful of Muggle money to the man when he came back.

'Keep the change,' he muttered and he stood from his chair almost instantly, grabbing his cloak and fastening it around his neck.

Hermione could barely believe what he was doing. How dare he ignore her! How dare he try and make her feel like she was the one with the issue! She could barely stand she was so angry, and pulled on her own jacket just as he was pulling on his gloves. Then without saying a word to one another, they departed the café and walked back in the direction of the alleyway in which they had arrived.

The streets were slightly less busier than they had been earlier, seeing as the lunch hour was almost finished and people were returning back to their places of work. Lucius could hear the click of Hermione's heels on the pavement as she followed him into the alleyway and he turned.

'I will escort you back to your office.'

She glared at him.

'I am more than capable of finding my own way back.'

With a growl of frustration, Lucius had had enough, and he grabbed the woman's arm roughly, pulling her into his chest. She gasped but before she could do any more than that, he had turned on the spot and arrived at the Ministry seconds later with a loud _crack._

The instant they arrived, Hermione pushed herself off him.

'If you _ever_ touch me like that again, I swear to you, I will not hesitate to hex your balls off and use them as earrings!'

The woman turned on her heel and stormed off in the opposite direction from him. Lucius could not help but smirk as he watched her walk away.

Perhaps he hadn't made the best judgement call by forcing her to come back with him, but he had wanted to make sure she was safe. He wasn't worried about that, though.

No, the most dangerous thing of all was that he had discovered how thrilling it was to push Hermione Granger's buttons and just how enticing she became when she was angry.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

 _25_ _th_ _February 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London._

'- then he had the _audacity_ to tell _me_ to shut my trap! I could have strangled him. And then, to top everything off he ignored my wishes to pay for half of the meal and practically forced me to return to the Ministry with him because he wished to "escort me back". _Merlin's pants!_ '

Hermione flung herself down on an armchair across from the others and folded her arms and legs so tightly that she looked like she was trying to squeeze herself to death.

This was definitely one of the more interesting gatherings the women had had. They tried to do it at least once a month, as there wasn't much the men would talk about unless it involved drinking or Quidditch.

Parvati was putting on a very poor show of trying not to giggle, her fist in her mouth as tears of laughter escaped her eyes. Angelina and Fleur were smirking whilst Ginny, on the other hand, looked slightly traumatised.

'Er, Hermione, you do know you sound completely mental, right?'

Her friend snorted in reply, a scowl on her face as she stared at the wall. Audrey decided to pluck up the courage and give her opinion.

'From what it sounds like, the man took you out for a lovely meal, shared some things with you which I very much doubt he has ever told anyone else and also made sure you returned to work safely … even if he went the wrong way about it.'

Hermione clearly wasn't to be swayed.

'He is insupportable, he is egotistical and he lords over everyone like he's a fucking King or something. I can't stand him.'

Ginny simply raised an eyebrow, a small smirk appearing on her face.

'Dear, dear … sounds like Herms here has gotten herself a little crush.'

' _What_!?' Hermione screeched in return, looking scandalised but her face going bright red nonetheless. This only set Parvati off again, who this time didn't bother to try and contain her laughter as all the other women sniggered at her side.

'I have never had – how dare you suggest – could never like him – don't know what you're talking about –'

'Well, when you're finally able to scramble some words together to make a coherent sentence, please deny it as much as you want.'

'Don't be so stupid, Ginny!' Hermione scolded her, 'It's Lucius Malfoy!

'And?' Angelina butted in, 'What does that have to do with anything? You can't help who you like.'

'Ah, I remember ze first time I met Bill,' Fleur said, a dreamy look in her eyes, 'I tried to conveence myself zat I did not like him. But he was so … how do you say … _sexy_ zat I could not resist.'

Angelina and Audrey laughed at the disgusted look on Ginny's face.

'Thanks for that information, Fleur,' she muttered, turning back to Hermione, 'You have to admit though. He's an alright looking bloke considering he's what … fifty?'

'He's forty seven, _actually_ ,' Hermione added, before clapping a hand over her mouth as the others burst into peals of laughter. She scowled at them.

'So what, I know how old the man is – big deal! That means nothing! I thought you didn't like him anyway, _Ginny._ '

Her friend simply shrugged.

'I said I didn't trust him, actually, which I still don't.'

'Hermione, you really are oblivious sometimes,' Angelina commented, rolling her eyes.

'He seems to really like _you_ , though,' Parvati said suddenly, looking thoughtful, 'The only reason there's not been an article in the Prophet yet is because I've had to put my foot down.'

'There was going to be an article!?' Hermione asked, looking horrified … never had she been so thankful for Parvati's role as Junior Editor at that place.

'Oh, yes. One of the younger interns thought of making it about you and Draco at first, but he's going out with that Astoria Greengrass, isn't he? Don't imagine she would have taken that lightly.'

'Well, I'll thank you for saving me that embarrassment, at least,' she replied, biting her lip, 'But Lucius is _also_ a married man. Rumours like that are unhealthy regardless of whether they're true or not.'

'Doesn't seem to have the best of marriages though, does he?' Ginny added, sharing a knowing look with Parvati, 'Apparently she's still living in France with a distant relative. Well that's what I heard anyway.'

 _He had mentioned something like that,_ Hermione thought to herself, but she shook her head.

'Regardless of that, it's still not right.'

'Harry and Ron would probably agree with you.'

'And George for that matter.'

'Well, _they_ can stick their opinions – there's nothing going on anyway. He is just an assiduous, reliable associate who I enjoy spending time with.'

'Your little story didn't seem to tell that,' Angelina commented slyly, folding her arms, 'On the contrary, it sounded much like a lover's spat to me.'

' _Lover's spat,_ ' Hermione choked, ignoring everyone else's giggles, 'You lot are doing my head in. I told you what happened today because I expected you to console me and agree that he was indeed an infuriating, pompous windbag, but now I am dropping this conversation. So that's enough.'

The other women accepted it, but all had such irritating, knowing looks on their faces that Hermione felt like storming out.

'Tell us about your event next month,' Audrey suddenly opened with, a kind smile on her face. If there was anyone else in this group that Hermione could trust not to be utterly ridiculous when it came to men, it was her. The two were very like-minded.

'Oh, yes, I had completely forgotten! Kingsley approved everything today so the date is set for the 16th of March. And you will _all_ be there, won't you?'

'I'll make an appearance, so long as the match doesn't run over,' Ginny said. There was some truth in what she said but she was mainly just saying it to annoy her friend.

'Oh, yeah, me too,' Angelina added, 'We're playing some obscure team from Lithuania on the Saturday so we've no idea how it will turn out.'

'Well, I'll make sure you both have tickets, as well as Harry and George,' she sighed, finally unfolding her arms, 'What about you, Fleur?'

'I may ask Andromeda to babysit leetle Victoire. She does dote on her and Teddy is fond of her also.'

'It would be lovely if you and Bill could make it … ask Charlie if he would like to come as well, but I understand it might be a bit of a journey for him just for one night. I'm assuming you'll already have your marching orders, Audrey?'

'Of course,' the woman replied, rolling her eyes, 'You know what Percy's like. He would consider it high treason to miss any Ministry run event.'

'Wonderful! I'm sure it will be fantastic and will raise plenty of money for the cause –'

'Who are you going with, Hermione?'

There was silence in the room as Ginny asked the question but, for once, she didn't stutter trying to find an answer.

'I will be going alone,' Hermione replied, with an indignant sniff, 'It's my event and I do not want it overshadowed by some ridiculous rumour that is bound to start should I decide to take one of my friends.'

All of a sudden, to Hermione's astonishment, her friends began talking over one another.

'Oh, but I know this guy who would be _perfect_ for you –'

'- he works in Games and Sports, I know that's not your usual type –'

'- a great guy, he might not be trustworthy but just for one night –'

'STOP!'

They all shut up after Hermione stood and silenced them with a stomp of her foot. After glaring at them all individually, she spoke.

'If I wanted to find a date, I would do it myself, alright? I do not need your help and I do not want it! This is a charity fundraiser. I do _not need a date._ '

She let her speech sink in before giving them all a short farewell and departing into the hall to disapparate.

They all looked at each other shrewdly.

'Yeah, she definitely likes him.'


	18. Chapter 18

18.

 _1_ _st_ _March 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Second Study._

The front door slammed downstairs and he could hear the familiar sound of his son's voice signalling his return from visiting Narcissa in France.

He had been doing that a lot recently. Ever since she had left the Manor, almost two months ago, he had been travelling between his two parents and trying to make them see the error of their ways. Reminding them of the (admittedly, very few) good times that they had shared, what advantages there would be in staying together … but it was no use. Both his mother and father were determined. They did not want to see each other, did not want to be together anymore. He could do nothing else.

Lucius noticed his son's efforts and applauded them, even if it had all come to nothing. The past couple of weeks had simply confirmed what he had already decided – he and Narcissa would have to divorce.

Yes, he had contemplated just staying with the woman for the sake of their son as well as the fact that Pureblood divorces were quite unheard of and he did not want to create a scandal. Nonetheless, every time he thought of a reason to stay with her, there were another two which made him reconsider. In his heart, he knew she would agree with him. It was fruitless trying to pretend otherwise.

They had been growing apart for years. The War had forced them to stick together for the sake of protection, but if the War had never happened, Lucius genuinely believed that they wouldn't have lasted much longer together. She was a good woman and she loved their son very much, but it was difficult to imagine having to spend the rest of his life alone in this Manor. Draco would not stay forever, once he married and had a family himself. He didn't want to be alone.

Despite knowing that he was making the right decision, Lucius was not certain as to how his son would react to the news. Obviously he had accepted that his parents would never live together again, but it was another thing entirely to become legally separated.

That was why he was waiting for Draco's arrival in his study. Was there any better time to break the news? He would first discover whether or not his wife was happy where she was – if she was, it would make the situation a little easier. France was a lovely part of the world and she would have a lot of opportunities to make friends there. He would, of course, be returning her dowry through the divorce settlement as he had more than enough inherited money for himself.

There was a smart knock on the door and Draco strode in almost immediately, giving his father a small nod in greeting as he went to take the seat across from him.

'How was your trip?' Lucius asked, as he rose from his place behind the desk and walked over to the liquor cabinet, 'I trust your mother is well?'

'Oh, yes, she's perfectly alright,' Draco replied with a sneer, 'Made a lot of new friends. Some lovely, young male friends, in particular.'

He could barely hide the disgust in his voice. Lucius wasn't particularly surprised, nor was he affected by this information. He had never really considered taking a mistress before, as there had never been a woman who could captivate him enough to even consider it.

 _"Don't you Malfoys always rattle on about having the best of the best?"_

Hermione Granger's comment rattled through his head at that moment, as he poured himself and his son a glass of whiskey. There may have been some truth in what she had said, even if he had denied it at the time. She was the only woman who had ever remotely impressed him in the last twenty years.

Coincidentally, they had not spoken since their argument on Monday. He would not have worried about it usually but Lucius was expecting her tomorrow morning for a meeting with the event planner. What if she didn't show up? He had no problem in making the decisions for her but what if she didn't like them? Or better yet, what would he do if she showed up tomorrow and still treated him with contempt? After all the progress that he and his son had made with Hermione Granger, would it all go back to square one after one little argument?

He could barely think about it just now and scolded himself for worrying over something so insignificant. It would all be fine.

Draco accepted his glass with a small thanks and crossed one ankle over the other as he relaxed in his chair. It was only then that Lucius noticed that his son looked a little worn out.

'Is there a problem?' he asked, taking a sip of his whiskey as he waited for a reply.

'Nothing serious. Just Astoria. She keeps dropping hints about marriage every time we meet up and I'm not entirely sure what to do.'

'Well, you have been courting for over a year and a half now, Draco. Don't you like the girl?'

'Oh, no, I do like her. I think I could even love her, to be completely honest …'

'That's wonderful. So what seems to be the issue?'

'I don't know. I guess I just didn't see myself settling down at twenty-one. Not for the reasons you think – no I had plenty of fun before I met Astoria. It's just that marriage means children and children means responsibility … I don't know if I'm ready for that yet.'

Lucius raised an eyebrow. His son very rarely opened up to him like that. No, it had been Narcissa who had always comforted him about things and who he had always spoken to about any worries or fears. He supposed that was his own fault, in a way, as he had just taught his son to hide his emotions well. It _had_ been necessary given the conditions … now, however, those conditions were gone and society was progressing again. It touched him a little that Draco had chosen to come to him with this issue – though he would never admit it - and he cleared his throat.

'Marriage doesn't mean a death sentence, Draco. It can in fact be very enjoyable. There is also no pressure for you to rush into anything, it's not like it used to be for old Pureblood families. You could get engaged and wait a couple of years before actually getting married. Likewise you could wait a few years to have a child. There are many opportunities that stand before you, not to mention the fact that you and Miss Greengrass seem to suit each other perfectly.'

Draco looked sceptical.

'Yeah, well, you and mother looked suited to one another as well.'

He didn't have to say any more. Lucius took another long sip of his drink before looking his son in the eye.

'I am sorry that things haven't worked out between your mother and me. It's not through lack of trying, I assure you, but our marriage wasn't the strongest, even in the beginning. Do not misunderstand me - I love your mother, but more for the person she is and the fact that she loves you. I do not love her as two people in a marriage should love each other. Not anymore.'

'You've come to a decision then?' Draco asked, frowning a little as he drained the rest of his glass, 'Can't say I didn't see it coming.'

'I wanted to speak with you about it … I have made my decision. And judging from what you have told me, your mother seems to have made hers as well. Can I count on your support, Draco? I understand it is difficult, but I am convinced that this is the only way our family can be happy again. You will still see your mother as much as you do now. The only difference is you may be seeing her with another man.'

Draco didn't look at him as he placed his glass back down on the desk and rose from his seat, brushing invisible dust from his trousers.

'I can't really wrap my head around this at the moment … give me time.'

Lucius nodded and without saying goodbye to his father he left the study, closing the door behind him.

Sighing, the older man placed one hand over his eyes, trying to block the headache that he knew was coming.

It could have been a lot worse. Draco didn't shout at him or throw anything, but in some small way he might have preferred that to the horrible, resigned look he had on his face as he left.

 _Someday, he will understand,_ he thought, listening to the sound of the rain hitting the windows and he drifted off into an uneasy sleep.


	19. Chapter 19

19.

 _2_ _nd_ _March 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Front Porch._

Hermione felt extremely lucky that her stomach had chosen to spill its contents _outside_ of Malfoy Manor instead of in it. She wouldn't have been surprised if they had had some sort of alarm, alerting them to any drunken visitors who could potentially ruin their precious gardens.

Last night had been fun and she hadn't had such a good time with her friends in months – but she was also suffering for it horrendously today. She cursed Ron, realising that this was the third year in a row she had woken up with a hangover after his birthday celebrations. She had also been too busy trying not to vomit this morning to remember a hangover potion, so meeting with the event planner today was going to be even more difficult than usual. Not to mention the fact that she hadn't seen Lucius since their disastrous lunch on Monday.

Her friends had (eventually) led her to see that she had overreacted, somewhat. Why had she suddenly expected Lucius to be more accepting of Muggles? It was almost as if she had forgotten whose side he was on in the War …

But she _had_ forgotten. For a few blissful weeks, she had unconsciously ignored the fact that Lucius Malfoy was who he was. They never mentioned much of the past to one another and that had worked very well for both of them. He had almost made her forget that he wasn't just a Pureblood and she wasn't just a Muggleborn.

She shook her head and tutted. It would be better for her in the future to remember that he was a Malfoy, he _and_ his son. It would save her from any more anger or upset in the future.

Before she could raise a weary hand to knock on the door, it swung open, and Lucius stood in front of her with a stern look on his face.

'You're late,' he stated. Hermione could not be bothered to argue.

'Yes, fine, I'm sorry. Could I just come in, please?'

He hadn't even given his consent before Hermione bypassed him and moved inside the main hallway, yawning a little as she removed her coat. A House-Elf appeared at her side instantaneously and removed it from her. She swivelled her head to see Lucius still standing with the door open, his eyes rather wide.

'Are you going to stand there gawking at me all day or would it possible to get a cup of tea? As you can probably tell, I'm not in the mood for much this morning.'

He snorted in reply and closed the door. She realised, once again, that he had taken it upon himself to do a servant's duty in answering the front door. That confused her even more and made her head ache. She placed both hands over her face and groaned loudly.

'Remind me to curse Ronald Weasley to within an inch of his life the next time I see him.'

He looked at her incredulously for a second before giving a light chuckle and striding over to her, offering his arm for her to take.

'Come. We'll sit in the library for a while and you can get your much-needed refreshment. As it so happens, the planner is running late and won't be here for another half an hour.'

She scowled at him through her fingers for a moment, before eventually relenting and taking his arm. They walked through the house at a leisurely pace, mainly – she thought – so he could be sure she didn't throw up all over the carpet.

'So you harassed me for being late and yet your precious, bloody event planner hasn't even turned up yet?'

'I did not _harass_ you, my dear. I was simply stating a fact.'

Lucius was almost certain that he heard her mutter exactly where he could stick his facts and it took every ounce of his strength not to pounce on her. They came to the end of a long corridor towards the south side of the Manor, where two large oak doors sat open and the most beautiful room Hermione had ever seen was unveiled to her.

She could barely keep her mouth closed in shock. The Malfoy library was one of the biggest she had ever seen, perhaps even bigger than Hogwarts and that was saying a lot. The room was open and seemed livelier than all the others she had been in so far and there were ladders and small walkways that took you up to some of the higher shelves where books were crammed in every crevice. Unconsciously, she let go of her associate's hand and took to wandering around the room. This place was mesmerising.

Finally, she turned back to Lucius, who was still standing at the door, watching her with a smirk on his face.

'I can't believe you've been keeping this from me all this time …and here I thought we were starting to get along.'

He chuckled slightly as he walked towards her, his blonde hair seeming even brighter in the sunlight that shone through the large windows.

'If I had mentioned this to you before we would never have gotten any work done. I knew you would like it.'

Hermione smiled brightly at him, suddenly feeling ten times better than she did five minutes ago and she had to restrain herself from grabbing the nearest book and poring over it. It certainly appealed more than having to discuss table decorations with some boring, old event planner.

As if he knew what was running through her mind, Lucius shook his head at her.

'Not just now. First of all, it is important to get you rehydrated. You will be of no help to me or the planner if you are suffering from the after-effects of too much alcohol consumption. You are intolerable enough at the best of times.'

She made to argue with him before realising that he was only joking. Lucius Malfoy was _joking_ with her. Laughing drily and giving him a sharp look, Hermione made for the nearest armchair and sat upon it with her usual poise. Her companion took the seat across from her, crossing one leg over the other and looking amused.

'There is no need to stand on ceremony here, Miss Granger,' he said, 'You can relax.'

Hermione took his advice and laid back in her chair a little, but the look on her face didn't change.

'Back to Miss Granger now, are we?' she asked, her expression unfathomable to him. Lucius looked surprised for a second and cleared his throat, not really sure how to answer her.

'I did not mean anything by it. As a matter of fact, in spite of our little … disagreement on Monday, I still consider our professional relationship to be what it always was, _Hermione._ Does that make you feel better?'

He noticed her blush a little before nodding her head and grinning at him. He could not help but smile back.

'Yes, I suppose so,' she replied, crossing her own legs and shifting into a more comfortable position in her chair, 'Although, I am sorry for what –'

'No, please don't apologise. I must apologise for the way I treated you, you know, after our lunch –'

'It's fine,' she interrupted, glancing at him with a small smile, 'I need to be put in my place once in a while or I would never shut up. I like the fact that you challenge me instead of falling over your feet to impress me like everyone else does.'

'Well,' Lucius drawled, a smirk on his face, 'I am a Malfoy, after all. What would we be if not superior to everyone else?'

Hermione laughed loudly, throwing her head back as she sat and suddenly Lucius realised how much he enjoyed hearing that sound. Hers wasn't irritating, like other young ladies often could be, and it felt genuine, when he had been so used to hearing false laughter throughout his life by people trying to outdo one another … it was refreshing.

Thankfully, one of the House-Elves named Floppy wandered through at that moment with a tea tray and he shook himself from his thoughts. He was being ridiculous.

'Thank you, you're very kind,' Hermione said to Floppy as he placed the tray on a table between them. The Elf looked at her as if she had just sprouted two heads and then left them both in peace, the look of both irritation and confusion not leaving his face as he closed the door behind him.

Lucius thought she looked surprisingly calm for having had such a strange encounter and she noticed him looking at her. She smiled and shrugged.

'Not the first time I've been confronted with something like that. Harry's Elf, Kreacher, hated me when I first met him. Referred to me as a "filthy Mudblood" on several occasions before Harry forbade him from saying it anymore. It was only a few years ago that he managed to get used to me being around the house, but even then he still squirms a little whenever I thank him for something.'

He could not believe how nonchalant Hermione was being over something which most people would consider extremely offensive … he knew from experience after all. He lifted the mug of tea and poured her a cup.

'And that does not bother you? The way he acts around you?'

The woman seemed to contemplate her words for a minute, accepting her cup of tea with thanks.

'No, I suppose not. After all, he is simply trying his best to adapt to a situation which he has never been used to. Being influenced by the Black family, I had expected it. The fact that he is improving his behaviour towards me and willingly trying to change means more to me than anything else.'

As she began to drink her tea in small sips, Lucius could not help but think what a wonderful person she was. There was no animosity in her behaviour towards anyone, even the people who had done her so much wrong in the past. She was merciful, she was forgiving and she was radiant for doing so.

 _Were all Muggleborns like her,_ he asked himself as they drank in silence. No, that could not be possible. They may have similar traits with one another, but he doubted he would ever find anyone else who could exude so much goodness as she did. He noticed her visibly calming with every sip she took.

'How are Draco and Narcissa?' she asked, glancing at him over her tea.

'Draco is fine, thank you. I believe he is visiting Miss Greengrass at the moment.'

'Ah, of course, I forget he was dating Astoria.'

'You know of her?' he asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. She shrugged again.

'I've crossed paths with her a couple of times. She seems lovely.'

Once again, her kindness astounded him, because he knew for a fact that Astoria Greengrass was just as much of a spoilt brat as her big sister was. Although she _was_ a little nicer than Daphne, if he remembered correctly.

'Your wife is still in France, I presume?' Hermione continued, a strange look on her face as she accosted him. He took another sip of tea to avoid replying.

Should he tell her about the divorce? In that moment he found himself questioning whether or not it would be a good idea. She was an extremely trustworthy person – Gryffindor through and through – so he had no doubt that she would keep the news to herself. What would that mean though if he did decide to tell her? Did that mean they were friends? Would she even _want_ to be friends with him? After all he had done to her he could hardly think it possible.

Hermione was looking at him with such intensity at that moment, that without even a second thought, Lucius opened his mouth.

'Narcissa and I have separated.'

A dead silence fell between the two of them as Hermione gaped at him in shock, her tea cup halfway towards her mouth. He suddenly felt like the biggest imbecile on the planet for even thinking that she would be interested in anything that happened in this family. He could feel his emotions shutting down already, his face once more becoming that mask of indifference as he realised what a huge mistake he had made in trusting her …

Suddenly, he was awoken from his musing by a small hand placed on top of his own, warm and soft yet hesitant at the same time. He had never felt anything like it before. With a small jolt of surprise, he realised that it was _her_ , she was sitting next to him with such a look of concern in her eyes that he couldn't even glance at them.

She had mistaken his surprise for something else, however, and pulled her hand away as if burned. Grasping it with another, she began to stand, looking extremely embarrassed.

'I'm so sorry, that was too forward of me …' she murmured, making to move back to her previous seat.

Lucius found himself standing on his feet in an instant, clasping her arm as he turned her around to face him. She looked startled and her cheeks were wonderfully flushed as she looked into his eyes.

'Don't be sorry,' he said, removing his hand from her arm and moving it to grasp hers. She flushed even more as she realised how close they were standing to one another. She had never noticed just how tall he was before now, as her eyes levelled with his chest.

He could practically hear her heart racing from where he stood, could feel the heat emanating from her entire body but as much as he wanted to move away from her he couldn't find the strength to do it.

'Master?'

Hermione and Lucius jumped apart as quick as a flash but as the woman's face became even more flushed, the man's features returned to what they always were – cold and indifferent.

'Yes, what is it, Floppy?' he asked, feeling both grateful and irritated at the Elf for interrupting them.

'The event planner has arrived, Master, shall I show her to the Library?'

'No, thank you, Floppy,' he replied, feeling his hand burn from where he had been touched, 'If you could show her to the sitting room on the ground floor. We will join you momentarily.'

The House-Elf bowed out of the room instantly, leaving the couple still standing a few feet apart from one another.

Hermione was angry with herself. How could she possibly be getting flustered over a little bit of human contact? They had done nothing wrong, she had simply been comforting him after he had been kind enough to let her in on something that she was convinced would be a secret. Internally scolding herself, she looked up into Lucius Malfoy's face and gave him a glowing smile.

'Shall we?'


	20. Chapter 20

20.

 _3_ _rd_ _March 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Garden._

Sunday dinners at the Weasleys were always a lovely treat for Harry and Ron, who were both well known for not being able to cook a piece of toast properly, never mind a full roast dinner. As it was also Ron's birthday weekend, some other friends had been invited to lunch, including Neville, Luna and Hagrid.

Hermione hadn't seen any of them in a long time, usually having been kept busy with work. Neville she saw in passing at the Ministry on occasion, as he still worked in the Auror office with the other two. Luna, however, did as she pleased and Hermione often heard of her disappearing off to exotic countries searching for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. She hadn't been in contact with Hagrid since the Christmas holidays so it was lovely to see some of her old friends again.

With a glass of wine in hand, she sighed with happiness as everyone around her chattered pleasantly with one another, all of them just having finished the delicious meal that Molly had prepared for them. The other women had tried to give her a hand, but in the end Mrs. Weasley had just shooed them all away, as there were far too many people in the kitchen for her to concentrate.

Ginny appeared at her side with Harry and Hermione cursed as she jumped slightly. That woman could have snuck past a Dementor.

'Alright, Hermione?' Ginny asked, as she also nursed a glass of wine, 'Had a good week?'

'Have fun at your lunch on Monday?' Harry added and she scowled at him as she realised what he was trying to do. Ginny had quite clearly spilt the beans to him judging from the irritating, smug look she had on her face.

'It was fine, thank you,' she replied shortly, sipping on her wine again to try and make them stop asking her questions. The couple, however, didn't look like they were going to move on any time soon.

'I seem to remember you telling me that you didn't have as nice a time as you seem to be making out,' Ginny muttered conspiratorially. Hermione flushed, whilst Harry looked very serious all of sudden.

'Do I need to have a word with him about anything, Hermione?'

She tutted loudly in response and turned to him with a scathing look.

'Once again, Harry, I am going to remind you that I can take care of myself without the interference of you, or Ronald, or Ginny, or anyone else who deems themselves worthy enough. We just had a little argument, that's all, as your fiancé well knows. There is nothing to be upset about.'

Ginny's eyes glinted with mischief.

'Don't you think it's funny, Harry, that every time Hermione meets with that man it always seems to end with a blistering argument?'

'As a matter of fact, Ginevra, we _don't_ argue all the time. I spent several hours with him yesterday and we didn't fight once.'

'You _saw_ him yesterday _!?'_ Ginny screeched, slapping her friend on the arm, 'Why didn't you tell me you were seeing him?'

'Because funnily enough I _don't_ need to run everything by _you._ You are not my bodyguard.'

'Why were you with him yesterday?' Harry asked, his arms folded and looking as if he was about to transform into Auror-mode.

'He asked me to come to the Manor to meet with the events planner about –'

' _You went back to his house?!'_

Silence fell around the garden as Ginny screeched so loudly that everyone else's conversations halted. Hermione blushed furiously and without any explanation, she grabbed her friend's arm and dragged her into the kitchen, Harry following after assuring everyone that there wasn't a problem.

'What are you playing at?' Ginny asked, looking genuinely concerned, 'Wasn't it bad enough the first two times you were there?'

Hermione glared her, enraged and folding her arms as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

'I do not appreciate you dragging those situations back up, Ginny. It's not like it's the Manor's fault that either of those things happened.'

'But they _did_ happen,' Harry interrupted, sharing the exact same look as Ginny, 'It really isn't safe there, Hermione, for any of us never mind you.'

Her eyes were now reduced to slits.

'If I _didn't_ feel safe there, do you think I would have gone?' she asked her friends, as their expressions began to falter, 'Do you honestly believe that if I did not feel safe around Lucius and Draco Malfoy that I would continue to work with them? _I_ am not the one that is acting ridiculous here, _you two are._ '

Barely able to control her anger, Hermione stormed over to the open door and stopped just as she was about to leave.

'I know the rest of you aren't willing to give them another chance but I believe there is some good in them. Until I see for myself that I am wrong, don't you _dare_ try to persuade me otherwise.'

She was gone in a flash, ignoring everyone else as she desperately needed to take some time to calm down. The orchard seemed like the best option and Hermione wandered through the trees alone as she wondered why her friends were so determined to prove her wrong all the time.

Of course she had wondered every now and again if she was making a huge mistake by letting the Malfoys back into her life. She had thought that at least once every couple of days since she had met with them at the beginning of the year. Every encounter she had had, however, had not resulted in her mind being changed about this – if anything it just reinforced it.

Unexpectedly, she heard some branches cracking a few feet away from her and was instantly on her feet, wand in hand before she was confronted with –

' _Hagrid_ ,' she sighed with relief, stowing her wand back in her pocket, 'Don't sneak up on me like that.'

Hagrid simply chuckled as he ambled over the uneven ground to take a seat next to her, some of the trees shaking as he did so.

'Don' think I'm really cut out fer sneakin' up on people, Hermione,' he replied and she laughed a little herself before he continued, 'Noticed ye migh' be wantin' some time on yer own, but I couldn' allow that, seein' ye so upset. So, come on … what's on yer mind?'

Hermione sighed, raising her knees up to rest her head against them and wrapping her arms around them too. She barely knew where to start.

'I just feel so alone sometimes, Hagrid. Not literally, as there's always someone there whenever I'm at Grimmauld Place, or at the Ministry, or here. No … I mean, I just feel like I'm the only one who's completely willing to move on from all of this War business. It sounds awful of me now that I think about it, but I don't want to be held down by what's happened in the past … do you get what I mean?'

Hagrid was staring at a flock of birds in the trees as she was speaking, his large hands clasped together as he twiddled his thumbs. He looked very peaceful.

'The way I see things is tha' ye can' live in the past. I could torture meself over what 'appened with Dumbledore, or what 'appened in me third year … but I don'. No point, really. What's done is done and there ain't much we can do ter fix that. But what I do know is that now is our chance ter _really_ make a difference in this world. Ter learn from the mistakes we made the las' time … that'll be the real challenge. Nah … we can' live in the past.'

He suddenly clapped a hand on her shoulder and she tried desperately not to tumble over. Hagrid smiled at her kindly, like the way he always used to, to make her feel better all those years ago …

'There ain't nothin' holdin' ye back now, Hermione. 'S'like Dumbledore always used ter say: the time has come fer us to choose between what is righ' and what is easy. And I don' think yer the type of person ter take the easy way out, are ye?'

Hermione smiled contently, tears shimmering in her eyes as she sat and watched the sun go down with her wonderful friend and realised that she had nothing to fear anymore. She knew what she was doing was the right thing and it gave her a small amount of comfort to think that Dumbledore would have agreed with her too.


	21. Chapter 21

21.

 _15th March 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

As Draco stepped out of the elevator onto the fourth floor at the Ministry on Friday morning, he knew exactly what type of mood Granger would be in today. He remembered the way she used to behave leading up to any of their final exams: she was constantly in the library, checking and rechecking every single fact she had ever learnt in case she had written it down wrong. If she wasn't doing that, then she was forcing her friends to test her on every subject, bonking them on the nose with a book if she didn't get the answer right word for word.

Today it just so happened that Draco was her 'friend' in this situation and he had an ominous feeling he was going to get a lot worse than a book being thrown at him if he did or said anything out of line.

He was not disappointed.

'Where the _hell_ have you been?' she screeched at him, the minute he stepped foot in her office and saw her rushing around doing a million things at once, 'You are late!'

Already he was getting the urge to throw a hex at her.

'I am five minutes late, Granger, bloody hell,' he muttered, dropping himself down onto one of her chairs while she stood next to him, looking scandalised, 'I don't know why you've got yourself in such a state. You need to calm down.'

He could practically feel the burning on the back of his head as she glared at him, her eyes turned to slits.

'You're telling me to calm down? Tomorrow is going to be, quite possibly, the biggest night of my career _and_ most importantly the biggest night for the promotion of House-Elf rights and you are telling me to _calm down._ '

Merlin, he had forgotten how scary she looked when she was angry. Getting up from his seat with a roll of his eyes, he gave in.

'Right, what are the orders, Captain?'

She ignored his sarcasm and began to list off everything.

'First of all, I need you to gather up every antique we managed to find for the auction and put them in the hall where the event is being held. There should be some sort of broom cupboard at the back where you can store them, but for _heaven's sake, please_ make sure they are hidden and locked because we cannot afford to have any of them stolen –'

'Where am I supposed to find all these antiques, Granger? My father dealt with most of those.'

'There is a full list on my desk with the names of the items and where you can pick them up from. Your father – who was here _two hours ago_ by the way – may have picked some up already so you'll have to check up with him.'

'And where is he?' Draco replied, cursing his father for being such a suck up.

'He's in the hall at the moment getting everything set up. Thankfully we had a number of volunteers come forward for that so the House-Elves didn't need to do anything.'

'You do realise that their purpose is –'

' _Don't even say it!'_ she warned him, raising a threatening finger towards his face. He shut up almost immediately, eyeing her pointed finger with apprehension.

'Also, I need you to go up to Magical Transportation and confirm that they will be keeping the Floo open for departing guests between the hours of …'

Draco began to drift off just listening to her ramblings, his eyes unfocussed as he realised just how tired he was … and then all of a sudden, he was aware of something large and heavy being battered over his head and he shouted out in agony.

His eyes streaming and his head pounding, he looked up into the enraged face of Hermione Granger, who was looking at him with more hatred than he had ever seen in his entire life.

'What the _fucking hell_ was that for, you crazy bint!' he hissed at her as pains shot through his forehead and where - to his distress - he could definitely feel a lump beginning to form.

'YOU WEREN'T LISTENING TO ME!' she shrieked, throwing the heavy book she had just hit him with down on her desk, 'I need you to be paying attention, Draco, this is _so important –'_

'Now, now, what's going on here?'

Both of them turned to see Lucius standing at the entrance, looking both amused and concerned at the scene he was watching in front of him. Draco was appalled to see him looking so calm.

'She's absolutely fucking mental, she just tried to take my head off with that book!'

'You deserved it, Malfoy, I knew you weren't listening to _anything_ I was saying –'

'That's enough,' Lucius stated, holding a hand up before them both as they glared at him, 'Now, Draco, if you could be so kind as to do the job that Hermione asked you to do, I would be most grateful. The list is on the desk.'

Draco sneered at his father but did as he was told and grabbed the list before storming out of the office, looking absolutely mutinous. Hermione looked extremely close to a breakdown, which Lucius noticed with some alarm and he strode over to her immediately as frustrated tears began to fill her eyes.

'This is going to be a _complete_ disaster, I just know it! Something will happen with the antiques, or Jenny and Wilbur won't turn up to do the speech, or the band won't be able to get here and it will all be ruined –'

' _Hermione_ , look at me,' Lucius said very calmly, grasping her upper arms with his hands as he deliberately stared into her eyes, 'Good. Now, what are we not going to do?'

'We're not going to lose our heads,' she replied with a huff.

'That's right. And why is this event going to be the best of the best?'

'Because _you_ are organising it.'

'Yes, well done. '

'I'm not doing any of the work, _obviously –_ '

'Hush, my dear, we're going off script,' he reprimanded, rubbing his hands slowly up and down her arms in a calming gesture, 'And lastly, why do you have nothing to worry about?'

'Because everything is going to be alright in the end.'

'Wonderful, you remembered every line.'

'Stop being so bloody condescending, Lucius.'

'I'm afraid I can't do that, it's just too much fun watching you get annoyed by it.'

Hermione folded her arms and scowled at him as he chuckled. Every scowl that she gave him felt like a smile in his book.

'I am going to finish overseeing the set up,' he told her, 'Now, if you would, can you please attend to the jobs you are supposed to be doing and leave the rest to me. It is _your_ day, as I have reminded you a number of times. Do me the favour of keeping calm, please - I do _not_ want to have to explain to all the guests tomorrow why you are being sent to Azkaban for murdering my son.'

'Oh, get out of my office, you stupid man,' she hissed at him, slapping his arm lightly and getting back to her work.

Lucius watched her from the office door, a slight smirk on his face before departing. He would make sure that everything went without a hitch tomorrow if it was the last thing he did.


	22. Chapter 22

22.

 _16_ _th_ _March 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London. Third Bedroom._

'Hermione, there will be no arguments on this, you are _wearing that dress._ '

'Ginny, it doesn't suit me! I have never worn a black dress before in my life –'

'Well you can start tonight then, can't you?' Ginny continued, looking more stressed by the second as she fought to keep Hermione's hair under control, 'How _do_ you do this every day, it's completely impossible.'

Hermione picked up her wand from the dresser and pointed it towards her hair, muttering an incantation under her breath. Then, suddenly and miraculously, her hair lost its usual frizz and began to fall in long waves instead. Ginny was gawking at her as if she had just given birth to a Hippogriff.

'Where did you learn that!?'

'You might not think that Witch Weekly is worth reading – and nor do I, most of the time – but I always keep an eye out for developments in hair products. A researcher sold this spell to Sleekeazy's about a year and a half ago.'

Shaking her head, Ginny ignored this revelation and continued to work on pinning her friend's hair back again, which was thankfully a lot easier for her now. Hermione's make-up had already been done and her friends had made it their mission to pick out the best possible dress for her colouring. She did have to admit that even if she was apprehensive about wearing something backless, it was a beautiful creation and very classy which was the look she wanted to have. It was a charity event, after all.

Ginny was completely ready, her long, dark red hair swept up into a high ponytail and wearing a gorgeous coral ball gown. She looked stunning, as usual.

Fifteen minutes later and Hermione only had to put on her shoes and dress before she was finished, when Parvati suddenly poked her head into the bedroom.

'It's six o'clock, ladies, we're going to need to leave soon if you want to get there early.'

'Sure, thanks Parvati, I'm just finishing up now.'

Ginny left the room two minutes later, promising to see her downstairs. Hermione sighed to herself and removed her robe, butterflies in her stomach as she got dressed as quickly as possible.

She hoped to Merlin that everything was going to go to plan.

* * *

 _16_ _th_ _March 2002. Ministry of Magic. Ground Level. Ballroom 1._

Hermione – true to her word – had decided not to bring a date. She really couldn't deal with having any more distractions tonight. Ginny had berated her for it but she wouldn't listen – this was more important to her than that.

She arrived at exactly 6.20pm in the Atrium with Harry, Ginny, Ron and Parvati, as they had all gotten ready together at Grimmauld Place. The rest of the Weasleys would follow them later on, just in time for the fundraiser beginning.

The Atrium was still empty at this point and Hermione led the group towards their destination: one of the lesser-used ballrooms that the Ministry always kept for special occasions. Kingsley hadn't needed much persuasion to let her use it.

She only hoped everything looked alright. She had been worried that Lucius was going to go over the top with everything and the last thing she wanted was for it to look tacky …

As they all entered through the archway, however, Hermione scolded herself for thinking so little of him.

She had never seen a room lit up so beautifully as this one since the Yule Ball in her fourth year. The hall was massive and it had been decorated so elegantly that she couldn't believe she had ever bothered to worry.

The floor gleamed as the group walked in, all of them pointing out the gorgeous crystal chandeliers to one another as well as the stunningly decorated tables set for eight people at each. The tablecloths were a deep red, each one set with a candelabra and assortments of silver cutlery; the chairs a deep mahogany; the stage was wonderfully lit up towards the back of the room, the band already situated and getting prepared; there were men and women present at the bars, ready to serve and waiters situated across the hall with flowing glasses of champagne on trays. They also spotted a very noticeable dancefloor underneath some of the tables and it reminded her very much of Bill and Fleur's wedding.

She was completely overwhelmed.

'Hermione, this is …' Ginny began, looking just as astonished.

'I know,' she replied, giving her friend a wide smile, 'I can't believe it.'

Her friends took their seats at one of the tables near the front after each grabbing a glass of champagne but Hermione continued to wander around the ballroom, taking note of every small detail and internally thanking the Malfoys with every step she took. She could not have imagined this any better herself.

'Hermione?'

Glass of champagne in hand, she turned to face the man who had made all of this possible. Her eyes widened in surprise.

'You're wearing a Muggle suit.'

'Oh, am I?' Lucius replied drily with a roll of his eyes, 'I hadn't noticed.'

She wanted to bite back, she really did, but how could she when there was such a man standing before her? She thought he looked elegant at the best of times, but she had never seen a gentleman pull off a suit quite as well as he did. It was fitted to perfection, complete with braces sitting over his crisp white shirt and perfectly polished black brogues.

'I'm shocked,' she managed to say, watching as he made his way towards her and took her hand.

'I was hoping for a slightly better reaction, I confess,' he joked, before raising her hand to his lips and kissing it lightly.

Hermione could have quite easily fainted there and then. A combination of the awe in which she was in due to the ballroom, the fact that Lucius Malfoy was wearing a _Muggle suit_ and that he had just kissed her hand for the first time in public was almost too much to bear. The heat rose in her cheeks without her even realising it and she smiled charmingly at him.

'Well, allow me to say I think it fits you tremendously. You look wonderful.'

'As do you, my dear,' he replied, holding her arm out so he could take in her full outfit, 'You will be the envy of every woman tonight, I have no doubt.'

She tutted and took a sip of her champagne, but the heat that coursed through her body at his words was too much for her.

'Ah, father. Granger.'

Thank goodness, Draco was here. Hermione dropped Lucius's hand and turned to smile at the younger Malfoy, who looked dashing in a pair of bottle green robes. He was accompanied, Hermione noticed, by Astoria Greengrass, who looked absolutely stunning in a knee-length gold dress.

'Good evening, Draco,' she greeted, trying to ignore the way her heart was racing, 'Good evening, Miss Greengrass.'

'Oh, please, call me Astoria,' the woman replied, flashing her a small smile. Hermione smiled back.

'Then I must insist you call me Hermione, Astoria,' she replied as she reached forward to shake the other woman's hand, 'Harry and the others are already sitting at the table, if you wouldn't mind joining them …'

'Oh, fabulous,' Astoria uttered, brightening up considerably as she led Draco towards the table, 'I see Parvati is there too, I know her quite well through her relationship with …'

Draco grimaced slightly as he followed his girlfriend, but he made no complaints whatsoever. Hermione just chuckled.

'I hope you don't mind me saying, but I think she is going to be very good for him,' she said to Lucius, who merely tutted.

'Of course you would say that,' he replied, waving over a passing waiter and taking a glass of champagne for himself. He raised it to her.

'To a successful evening,' he toasted. She raised her own in return.

'And to, what is quite evidently, a very successful partnership.'

He smirked at her as they tapped glasses with one another, Hermione taking a deep swallow of hers. She wasn't sure how long she could be around Lucius before she made herself look like a complete moron. How did he manage to make her blush as often as he did? It was mind-boggling.

'Shall we sit?'

'Yes, just for a few minutes though. We'll need to greet the guests as they come in.'

Lucius scowled.

'Ah, yes, there's always a downside to parties …'

* * *

Two hours later, the event was now in full swing. Guests had arrived, drinks had been given and everyone had taken their seats. There was a buzz of excitement throughout the room that continued well on into the night, something that even the speeches could not dampen.

Hermione could not have been prouder of Jenny and Wilbur. They had risen to the occasion magnificently, citing the importance of the event tonight and what it would mean for the progression of Beast and Being rights in the future. She would admit quite happily to anyone that a tear came to her eye as their audience clapped them exuberantly from the stage. She couldn't have written anything better herself and they had done the department proud.

The auction had also been received magnificently. The money they had raised already tonight was a blessing and she could have kissed Harry as he bid a whopping 400 galleons on their final lot: an antique Cleansweep, which was the first of its kind. The total count of the money raised was more than she could have ever imagined possible.

Lucius had also surprised her again by bidding on a few items himself, despite the fact that she had tried multiple times to dissuade him from it. He had already paid for everything that was in this room and she was grateful enough for that never mind anything else.

Everyone had just finished their meal, which had also gone down a treat, and Melinda signalled to Hermione to take the stage for her own speech. Nervously, she got up from her chair and walked to the front of the room, climbing the steps up to the stage very carefully. Finally she arrived at the top, where she took out her wand to shout, 'Sonorus!' at the crowd and everyone in the room instantly quietened. She felt like she was going to be sick.

'I would just like to take a moment to thank you all for taking the time to come to our charity fundraiser tonight. The fact that our Ministry has banded together once again for the greater good is something I am immeasurably proud of, so thank you so very much.

'Everyone from the Department would wish, I am sure, to express their gratitude for all of your kindness and generosity. I can tell you all now that we have managed to raise over 3000 galleons tonight and these funds will be put towards excellent use in improving the lives of House-Elves all over the country. For that reason alone, we cannot express how gratified we are.'

Everyone in the audience clapped thunderously, a few cheers here and there from the slightly more drunk employees. She smiled nervously.

'Lastly, I would like to thank some people in particular: the Minister, of course, for allowing us to put on the fundraiser in the first place; to the Department of Magical Games and Sports for donating some of their most prized pieces to our auction; to all the volunteers who have been working around the clock to decorate this beautiful venue and to ensure that everything would run as smoothly as it has tonight. And finally, a special thank you to our benefactors, who have made all of tonight possible. You have my eternal gratitude.'

Hermione raised her glass, watching as the entire audience did the same. She could not help but catch the eye of Lucius, who held his own glass firmly in his right hand, bowing his head as he toasted her. She beamed and took a sip from of her champagne before saying her last words.

'Now, if you could all please stand up from your seats –'

She waved her wand with one swift flick and every single table and chair flew to either side of the room and the dancefloor lit up in front of them all. The audience cheered.

'- the party starts now.'

'Hear, hear!' she heard a few voices shout and everyone clapped her from the stage as the band began to start behind her, a beautiful waltz playing as couples began to file one by one onto the dancefloor. The worst part was now over.

As she reached the rest of her group, Harry and Ron ran over first to crush her with a hug and her glass almost went flying out of her hand.

'Guys, this is not funny, I can't breathe!' she spluttered, laughing as they finally let her go and congratulated her on a wonderful speech. Ginny then pulled her into a hug as well, throwing her a sly wink.

'I think there's someone over there that might be of more interest to you.'

Hermione turned her head in confusion until she saw Lucius leaning against a nearby wall, sipping on a glass of champagne and watching her intently. No one noticed as she left them all chatting amongst themselves and made her way over to him, cursing herself once again as her heart began beating wildly under her dress.

His intense gaze gave Hermione goose bumps that she could not control and she noticed his eyes travel from her face, all the way down to her feet and back up again. She felt like it actually _might_ be possible to combust at this moment.

'Was my speech satisfactory?' she asked him jokingly, trying to make light of this situation before she lost her courage. He gave a small chuckle.

'You have a natural talent in that field, I'll admit. You were captivating.'

She simply nodded in reply, looking out over the rest of the party in order to not have to look at him. She was getting quite unnerved by it all now. What was he playing at? Was he messing with her? She had absolutely no idea.

'Would you care to dance with me, Miss Granger?'

Hermione almost spat out her drink as she saw him watching her expectantly, a hand outstretched. It was only then that she observed that he had removed his jacket … the sight of him in just his shirt and braces didn't make her feel any less jumpy. She didn't think it was such a good idea being in such a close proximity with Lucius, but she could hardly say no after all he had done for her – no, for the department – tonight.

'I would be delighted,' she replied eventually, taking his hand as he led her through the crowds and onto the floor where all the other dancers were congregated.

She felt ridiculously tense. The Yule Ball had been quite nerve-wracking as well, although Viktor Krum had done his best to make sure she was comfortable throughout the whole night … Lucius was different. She felt safe with the man that much she would concede. But she didn't feel comfortable. Her skin was on fire.

She felt herself being pulled forward slowly, as his left hand gripped her right and his other arm began to snake around her waist.

Hermione gasped quietly as his right hand made contact with the skin on her back. It was warm, a little rough but surprisingly comforting, she realised. Nonetheless, this felt more intimate than anything else she had done in her entire life. Nothing had ever felt like this with Ron.

 _Did I honestly just compare Lucius Malfoy to Ron,_ she thought with panic. Merlin, what was wrong with her?

Lucius removed his left hand from hers and propped it under her chin, forcing her to look at him. He gave a small nod of approval as she finally met his eyes, before joining their hands again. And then he began to move.

She just followed him without question, safe in the knowledge that at least _he_ was a good dancer. She never had been, unfortunately, but it was a relief to know that she wouldn't be looking like a complete fool in front of the rest of her colleagues.

They were both unsure of how long they kept dancing for… it could have been no more than a minute or it could have been an hour. All the minutes just rolled into one as they circled the floor, with Hermione trying desperately not to fall into the trap of catching his eye again – that would have ended everything.

And then suddenly, they were stopped.

'May I cut in?' a deep voice rang and they both turned to see Kingsley Shacklebolt standing to the left of them, a small smile on his face.

Lucius's eyes turned cold.

'Of course, Minister,' he said, letting go of Hermione almost instantly. With a small bow of his head, that was his only farewell and he stalked off in the direction of the bar.

Hermione could hardly breathe as she watched him walk away … until eventually she shook her head, scolding herself for being so stupid and turned back to the Minister who had a knowing look on his face.

They joined hands and began to waltz across the floor, Hermione a lot more shaken now that she was out of Lucius's arms.

'It has been successful night, Hermione, I have to congratulate you,' Kingsley commented as they danced, 'I am only sorry that Minerva could not be here. She had so wanted to come but she was otherwise engaged. I told her you would more than understand.'

Hermione could only smile in response. She didn't trust herself to speak at this moment.

'You and Lucius seem to be getting on very well,' he continued, in such a nonchalant way that he could have been commenting on the weather, 'Excellent, excellent …'

Hermione looked up at the Minister instantly, her eyes wide and her mouth set in a thin, straight line.

'He is an indispensable ally for the department,' she said to him, attempting to sound as casual as possible, 'We are much obliged to him …'

Kingsley didn't take any notice of her speech as they continued to dance and she felt herself getting annoyed. If he was going to interrogate her he may as well do it now while no one else was watching. He smiled at her.

'I remember what it was like during the War, especially towards the end. Everyone was turning on one another, unable to trust or not willing to. We created Potterwatch for that reason, you know … to try and instil some hope back into our community. To help people trust again.'

Hermione had a feeling she knew where he was going with this. She swallowed and bit on her tongue to prevent retorting.

'"Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving". I think that's what I said.'

She couldn't prevent the flashbacks of that night from entering her mind and it became more and more difficult to try and block them out as the music and the dancing and the chattering behind her all blurred into one.

'And it wouldn't surprise me, Hermione, if it just so turned out that you were saving his.'

She couldn't take any more.

Leaving the Minister standing in the middle of the dancefloor, Hermione walked as quickly as she could from the ballroom without raising any suspicion. She didn't want to talk to anyone … she didn't want to think any more, especially about this.

She was confused and she was upset, but she wanted to throw things and to scream. Nothing was making sense any more.

Once, a long time ago, she had thought she knew what right and wrong was. What good and evil meant and the people that fell into those categories. Now she knew nothing. Everything had changed. She felt threatened, everything was going wrong …

She stopped as she reached the end of the Atrium, where the fireplaces were still in use. One hand steadied her as she leaned against one of the mantelpieces, forcing herself to take deep breaths to keep what she knew was going to be a panic attack at bay. She hadn't had one of these for a very long time, but knew how to handle it well enough when everything became too suffocating.

'Miss Granger … Hermione. Are you quite well?'

She almost jumped out of her skin as a familiar, smooth voice erupted from nowhere, clutching onto the ledge to secure her unsteady legs.

'It's nothing …' she said, not even bothering to look at him as she continued to breathe through her nose deeply, 'Just, please, leave me alone. I can handle it.'

'Don't lie to me. You look like you're having a panic attack.'

'I … _know_... what this is … okay?' she breathed, trying desperately not to lose control.

 _Calm … calm … calm … calm._

Then, suddenly, he was there.

She felt warm arms being wrapped around her, one over her waist and the other cradling her neck and she fell forward, barely able to keep her balance. He held her tightly against him as her head pressed against his chest and she knew she would be safe.

Some of his long, blonde hairs were tickling the top of her head as he rested his chin on top of it … his right thumb making soothing circles over her back … and she felt her vision start to clear.

She breathed in the smell of his cologne, never having noticed it before. It was sublime.

She came to her senses almost immediately.

Stiffening up, she felt Lucius remove his head from hers as he looked down into her eyes, still stroking her back lightly.

'Better?' he asked, their faces only centimetres apart. They were so close that she could feel his breath on her skin … she smelt alcohol.

He wouldn't be doing this if he hadn't had so many drinks. Why would he? He was her work colleague and that was all they would ever be. They couldn't confuse things.

Hermione moved her hands up to his chest and began to push him away. He looked confused but allowed her to do it nonetheless. That just made it all worse.

She couldn't do this, not without getting herself hurt all over again. She couldn't _let_ herself be hurt again.

'I'm sorry, Lucius. I really am.'

'Hermione –'

But before he could do anything else but blink, she had taken one step away from him and disapparated.

He felt numb. For a few wonderful moments, he had thought that she had felt differently about him, that they had truly moved on from the events of the War. Obviously, he had been wrong … she didn't feel anything for him at all.

Was this the end?

'Mr. Malfoy –'

It was Potter who had come rushing up behind him, a look of concern on his face. He looked even more worried as he noticed the blank look on Lucius's face.

'Where is Hermione?'

Lucius fought down the bile rising in his throat.

'She is gone.'


	23. Chapter 23

23.

 _5_ _th_ _April 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Dining Room._

Draco sat alone, eating his breakfast and reading the morning paper as he wondered what time would be suitable for him to call on his mother. He had promised to visit her at some point this week but had been unable to so far, for a number of reasons.

One of them being that their family was now a target for reporters, thanks to his father's escapades at the Ministry fundraiser. There was now speculation that he and Granger had formed some sort of attachment, which he wouldn't have believed had he not seen their behaviour for himself.

Astoria had thought it was lovely … he wasn't so sure. Granger had disappeared a short while after dancing with his father and neither of them had seen her since. In fact, Lucius hadn't spoken one word about her or about what had happened that night. It was almost as if he was determined never to speak of her again.

Draco had taken it upon himself to pay Granger a visit at the Ministry last week, but by the time he had actually made it to her department he had been informed she was away on business. Apparently, she had been since the 18th. He had also tried Grimmauld Place on a couple of occasions, but Potter had told him she had been staying at her parents' house for a while. She, too, seemed like she didn't want to talk to anyone.

Potter, Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindor alumni had been intent on getting answers out of Draco, regardless of him telling them that he knew nothing. It had taken two hours for him to get out of that house, having been interrogated by various members of the family. They eventually gave up when they realised that his father hadn't spoken a word of it to him either.

Even with all of the buzz around the papers, no one had commented on it whatsoever. Shacklebolt seemed to have put a blanket ban on discussing it now, but the damage had already been done. The entirety of Wizarding Britain had been rocked by the news of an alleged relationship between Hermione Granger and Lucius Malfoy.

He was only thankful things had not taken a nastier turn. Most people seemed to be thinking along the lines of a tragic love story, of two people who could not be together because of their positions in society. There were the odd few who thought it was disgusting, that Granger had either been smothered a love potion or had lost her mind completely, but those people were mostly ignored.

Draco was getting quite annoyed by it all.

The door to the dining room opened and he looked up to see his father storming down the table towards him, a crumpled up piece of parchment in his hands. His face was still expressionless – as it had been for the last few weeks – but there was a rage in his eyes that Draco couldn't fail to notice.

'What, exactly, is the meaning of this?' he asked his son, handing him the piece of parchment, which Draco realised was a letter. A letter from his mother.

Oh, dear.

'How did she find out?' Draco wondered, his eyes scanning the page. Not good at all. Lucius was looking more furious by the second.

'What do you mean, "find out"? Find out what?'

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

'Well, father, if you had actually paid any attention to the Prophet last month, you would have seen a lovely little article on the front page about the supposed affair between you and Hermione Granger.'

His father's eyes appeared to go blank again at the mention of her name, but the way that he clenched his fists told Draco that there was definitely something going on which he had missed. He just wished his father would tell him about it. Lucius sneered.

'Well, _that_ charming woman,' he slurred, pointing towards Narcissa's letter, 'Has decided to take it upon herself to _cancel_ the divorce. She is insane. Citing that she will not be cast aside for a Mudblood. As if any of that were actually true.'

'It isn't?'

Lucius eyed his son warily, his jaw set.

'No, of course not.'

He wasn't sure if he believed him. In fact, Draco was almost one-hundred percent convinced that he wasn't telling him the truth at all. He sighed again.

'I'll talk to her, father,' he said, standing up from his place at the dinner table and folding the parchment to place in his pocket, 'I needed to visit her anyway. I'll make her see sense.'

'Please do, Draco,' his father replied with a scoff as he threw himself down onto a chair, 'I could do without the battle.'

'I know.'

Lucius listened as his son left the dining room and exhaled slightly when he realised he had actually gone. He rested his head in his hands, massaging his temples as he tried to come to terms with what was happening.

Narcissa's letter this morning had been the final blow. He could take no more of this.

Jumping from his seat, Lucius marched from the dining room, out into the hallway and towards his study, where he knew he would find copies of the Daily Prophet. He had been ignoring them since the fundraiser, shutting himself in his library instead with whisky for company –but now he had to see this article for himself.

He could feel his anger getting worse and the office door burst open in front of him. He didn't even have to use his wand.

After rifling through some papers on his desk, he finally found Monday the 18th's edition and saw exactly what his son had been talking about. His nostrils flared.

 ** _GOLDEN GIRL HERMIONE GRANGER DATING CONVICTED EX-DEATH EATER?_**

 _Readers across the country have been hoping for this moment for months: the moment where the Ministry's very own Hermione Granger, champion of House-Elf and Muggleborn rights and best friend of the Wizarding World's saviour, Harry Potter, finds new love, writes_ Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _After a very public and devastating break-up with Auror Ronald Weasley last year, it seemed very unlikely that our Gryffindor Girl would find another man to take his place._

The Daily Prophet, _however, is proud to have the first, worldwide exclusive on what could possibly be the biggest relationship scandal of the century._

 _It appears that Miss Granger has finally taken her pick of the crop and was snapped over the weekend attending a Ministry fundraiser with none other than Lucius Malfoy, ex-Death Eater and alleged Pureblood supremacist. Insiders from the event noted that the couple seemed "besotted with one another" and "couldn't keep their hands off each other" throughout the entire evening._

 _Although having been acquitted of their crimes thanks to the efforts of Harry Potter, the fact remains that the Malfoy family were members of the most prominent Pureblood circle, the Sacred Twenty-Eight, during both the First and Second Wizarding Wars – a circle from which the late He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named picked his most trusted followers._

 _Readers may also be shocked to learn that Miss Granger's newfound relationship will not be genuine under the eyes of the law, as the Malfoy patriarch is still married to his wife, Narcissa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown._

 _Members of the Malfoy family were unavailable for comment and so the question remains as to whether this sordid affair was nothing but a phase for the parties involved, or is it quite possible that our own Hermione Granger, having already done so much to eradicate pro-Pureblood laws, has abandoned her principles and chosen love over her beliefs?_

Lucius crumpled up the paper, his hands shaking with fury and threw it into the fire. That Skeeter woman was going to pay for sticking her nose in where it shouldn't belong.

Blind with rage, he pulled out his wand and began hitting everything in sight, not caring that prized ornaments of his grandfather's lay strewn across the floor, or papers that were centuries old were now tattered to shreds … why couldn't he just be happy? If it wasn't his wife making his life miserable it was that bloody Hermione Granger!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the study door and it opened almost instantly to show the tiny face of Floppy the House-Elf peeking through. If he felt any alarm in seeing the state of his Master's office, he didn't show it and instead bowed deeply.

'What is it, Floppy?' he seethed, taking very deep breaths to try and calm himself down.

'Floppy is sorry to interrupt, but Master has a visitor, sir.'

Floppy drew the door open even more and Lucius finally looked up to see someone else standing behind his House-Elf – a tall figure, his jet black hair dripping wet, who was looking at him with wide eyes.

'Potter?'


	24. Chapter 24

24.

 _5_ _th_ _April 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. First Study._

Harry gazed at Lucius Malfoy, his eyebrows raised, as he noticed the state of the room he was standing in. The place looked like it had just been bombed.

'My apologies,' the man muttered and he lifted his wand, waving it in an elaborate sweeping motion.

Harry had seen Professors Dumbledore and Slughorn use that exact spell only a few years ago and yet he still found it fascinating to watch. Everything in the room that had been moved flew back into its proper place and everything that had been damaged repaired itself almost instantly. In a matter of a few seconds, the office had been returned to its usual state of grandeur, fireplace roaring and all. Malfoy turned back to him.

'Can I help you, Mr. Potter?' he finally asked with a scowl on his face.

'In the middle of something, were we?' Harry replied with a forced laugh – Lucius, unsurprisingly did not reciprocate – but he didn't really know what to make of this situation. The man looked miserable. Nevertheless, he wasn't here to discuss Malfoy's wellbeing – he was here to get answers. It was about time somebody did. Harry cleared his throat and stepped into the room, nodding towards the small House-Elf who was lingering by the door, signalling that he was free to go. The Elf bowed deeply and retreated from the room, closing the door behind him.

'Not really sure what I was expecting, Malfoy, but it wasn't this.'

Lucius could barely contain his sneer.

'If you could hurry this visit along, Potter, I would be most grateful. I'm a busy man.'

'Are you?' Harry asked, looking at Lucius and then casting his eyes about the room, 'When I spoke to Draco the other day, he seemed to be under the impression that you weren't really doing anything, actually.'

The older man's eyes flashed, his hand gripping his wand even tighter. How dare his son go to Potter about all of this!

'My business is mine, and mine alone,' he uttered, looking mutinous. Harry simply raised an eyebrow again, not the least bit concerned that the man looked as if he was ready to explode at any second.

'It may be most of the time, Malfoy, but not when it affects my friends.'

This time Lucius didn't reply at all and his face took on a rather blank expression which Harry didn't really understand. He decided to plough on.

'Hermione hasn't come home in weeks now,' he began, watching the other man's face for any sign that he knew something, 'We know she is safe, fortunately, thanks to Minister Shacklebolt who informed us of her whereabouts. She is staying with her parents just now and working from home in her absence from the Ministry.'

Lucius Malfoy still didn't utter a word and he stood there with a face like fizz, not bothering to look Harry in the eye as he spoke. He didn't care.

'Do you know of any reason why Hermione would suddenly up and leave the Wizarding World without telling any of her friends? Particularly, I want to know why she chose to do so the day after her charity fundraiser. Any information you have would be helpful.'

Malfoy sniffed lightly, not looking Harry in the eye.

'I'm not really sure what you mean by coming all this way, Mr. Potter, to ask questions. Questions which have absolutely nothing to do with –'

'You will know by now, Malfoy, that I'm not really one for games,' Harry interrupted with an exasperated sigh, 'Especially when those "games" are complete bollocks. I know you're lying to me.'

No reply came. He sighed again.

'May I take a seat?'

Lucius looked like he was about to protest for a moment, but nodded his head instead and waved his hand towards the chair in front of his desk. Harry thanked him and noticed with some annoyance that the other gentleman wasn't going to join him. Idiot.

'I don't have time for this anymore. This has been going on long enough. I have absolutely no idea what is going on between you and Hermione, but nothing is going to be solved by –'

'And what makes you think that any of this is your business, Potter?' Lucius spat, looking enraged.

'I've told you before, when it comes to the welfare of my friends, I make it my business,' Harry replied, flashing him a warning look, 'There's no point in getting angry with me, Malfoy, I'm the one that's trying to help here.'

'It does not feel like that to me. People like you and my conniving son should worry about their own lives instead of forcing themselves into everyone else's.'

'Well sometimes people need help! And you clearly do.'

'I do not need your help,' Malfoy stated stubbornly. Harry had to resist placing a Silencing charm on him.

'I'm not stupid, you know. Hermione left you after the Ministry fundraiser the other week. I don't know why, but I know she did. The fact that she hasn't contacted anyone in weeks, including you by the looks of things, suggests that you _do_ need my help. I'm an Auror for a reason, aren't I?'

Malfoy looked as if he was swaying slightly now. Harry felt his confidence rise.

'Why are you so determined on this, Potter? Surely you don't want your friend associating herself with the likes of me.'

'I decided to give you and your family a chance four years ago, Malfoy,' Harry replied, getting up from his seat and walking over to stand by the fire, 'So far that chance has been worth it.'

He then turned to look at the other gentleman again, realising with some satisfaction that his resolve seemed to be crumbling.

'Hermione is prepared to trust you. You and Draco, for that matter. As she continually tries to tell us, she believes there is some good in you. I advise you not to betray that trust, Malfoy, because you will never get it back once it has gone.'

Malfoy was suffering under a multitude of emotions at this point and he began to pace around the room, his hands behind his back and looking deep in thought.

'You don't believe that is why she has –'

'No,' Harry interjected, shaking his head, 'If you had lost her trust she wouldn't even acknowledge your existence, but she would still be going about her usual routine. No, I believe she has retreated for the same reason she always does – to give herself (and _other_ people) some time and space to think.'

'It's been three weeks, Potter. How much more time and space does she need to have?'

'I don't know. It must have been something serious for her to be away for this long.'

Harry searched the other man's face for any hints, but he gave away nothing. Instead, Lucius took his seat behind his desk, looking rather dejected.

'It will never work,' he said, almost talking to himself now as he leaned back in his chair.

'You don't know that,' Harry told him, sitting across from him again and resting his elbows on his knees. Lucius snorted.

'Of course it won't. She was right to disappear … the alternative is even worse.'

Harry's eyes were wide as he listened to what Malfoy was saying. He began to suspect more and more that something other than a broken friendship was the issue between the couple. He grimaced a little before choosing the right words to say.

'I need you to promise me this, Malfoy. No matter what happens from now on, you must be completely honest. With her, in particular. Hermione cannot stand lies or deceit, especially between those who are supposed to trust each other. Even if this is just … _friendship_. She needs to know you will be there for her and you will be on her side. Don't hurt her. I don't know if she'd get through it this time.'

Malfoy swallowed as his hands gripped the sides of his chair. After a few moments of thought, he looked Harry in the eye and gave him a small nod. Well, that was probably the best he was going to get.

'Excellent. You should also be aware that if you _do_ do anything to hurt Hermione, I will have no reservations in tossing you back in Azkaban on some trumped up charge and throwing away the key. Do we have an understanding?'

Malfoy sneered at him and finally things felt like they were going back to normal.

'Aren't you Gryffindors supposed to come from noble stock?'

Harry chuckled.

'If I hadn't made my own choice when I was eleven years-old, I would be a Slytherin alumnus right now. Don't underestimate that side of me, Malfoy.'


	25. Chapter 25

25.

 _6_ _th_ _April 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London. The Kitchen._

The occupants of Number 12, Grimmauld Place sat in silence, every single one of them sitting with their arms folded and staring at the man sitting opposite them.

Lucius Malfoy tried not to look too annoyed by their incessant gawping, but it was getting ridiculous. He sat with his legs crossed, making himself feel as comfortable as possible as it was quite clear that no one else in this dump was going to.

'Remind me why he's here again, Harry?' Ron said to his best friend from across the table, eyeing Lucius very warily as he did so.

'We're doing this for Hermione, Ron, alright? Just suck it up, for God's sake. If things go as planned you're going to have to get used to him anyway.'

Lucius's nostrils flared as he continued to listen to them talking about him as if he weren't in the room. It was infuriating. He decided, however, to take Potter's advice and keep calm – he was doing this for Hermione too.

The younger Weasley was still staring at him, blatant mistrust plastered across her face. He wouldn't rise to the bait, however. He suspected they were all just waiting for an excuse to throw him out. She gave him a sickly sweet smile all of a sudden and leaned forward in her chair.

'How's life, Malfoy? Still keeping in touch with all your old friends?'

This time Lucius didn't contain his snort of indignation. Weasleys were so easy to rile up at times. Potter glared at his partner furiously.

'Do you not listen to Potter when he talks to you about work, or are you just completely ignorant of everything outside of your own little bubble,' Lucius replied, staying very composed even as the Weasley girl turned redder, 'It's hard to keep in touch with people in a high-security prison, Miss Weasley. Even more difficult, really, when you consider they were never my _friends_ in the first place. I do not have _friends._ '

'Oh, really?' her elder brother butted in, looking suspicious, 'So what does that make Hermione then?'

Lucius smirked at him.

'Well, as much as it _pains_ me to say it, Weasley, it is absolutely none of your concern.'

Brother and sister were looking murderous by this point.

'What the bloody hell does she see in him,' he muttered, shaking his head.

'Sophistication, elegance and taste. Something which, unsurprisingly, she has had a severe lack of in her romantic partners.'

Harry stood up quickly just as Ron did, looking as if he were about to pull out his wand.

 _'Sit down, Ron!'_ he ordered his friend, looking at them all with equal annoyance.

'Look, if none of you can learn to get along now, how do you think that's going to make Hermione feel?' he said to them, glancing at each of them individually, 'We all know that she's had more than her fair share of fighting, so let's try and keep the peace for her sake if nothing else. Alright?'

They all sat in silence once again. Harry couldn't take much more of this.

' _Kreacher!'_

With a loud _crack,_ the ancient House-Elf, whom Lucius had only met once in his life, appeared in the kitchen with them, bowing low to Potter before quickly glancing at everyone else.

'Would master like Kreacher to make tea for his guests?' he croaked loudly.

'Yes, please, Kreacher and some biscuits too, if you could.'

'Yes, Master. Right away.'

The Elf disappeared again in an instant.

All of a sudden, the fireplace beside the group lit up with a bright green flame and the trio barely had time to pull out their wands before Draco Malfoy stepped from the hearth, brushing the ash from his shoulders.

'Evening,' he greeted, ignoring the looks of shock on the Weasleys faces, 'Hello, father.'

'Draco,' Lucius replied, a scowl on his face, 'What exactly do you think you are doing?'

'Oh, nothing but a little visit between friends,' Draco replied sarcastically, taking the seat beside Ginny and across from his father, 'Simply can't stay away from them, you see.'

Before his father could hex him, Harry interrupted.

'I invited him here, Mr. Malfoy.'

Lucius looked beyond annoyed, glaring between Harry and his son equally.

'Oh, how charming. After the lovely little interrogation I received on my intentions towards Miss Granger, it appears that we already have an attachment forming under our very noses. My apologies on the breakdown of your relationship, Miss Weasley.'

Draco snorted at his father, whilst Harry laughed a little awkwardly. Ginny and Ron weren't amused at all.

'I have just as much right to be here as you, father, and just as much to lose if this doesn't succeed. Don't forget that I was the only one in our family trying to make an effort to find the insufferable woman while you were skulking in the library. It's more than just your love life on the line, I'm afraid. I want to see how this turns out.'

Lucius turned to Harry furiously, but the man simply raised his hands in his defence.

'Don't blame me, he asked if he could come. It's not like we're going to see _everything_ that happens, anyway, just the beginning. It's up to you to get her to come back, after all.'

'I would have preferred not having an audience,' he muttered, listening as the House-Elf bustled back into the kitchen, a tea tray held in his shaky hands.

'Thank you, Kreacher,' Harry said, taking the tray from the old Elf and placing it on the table in front of them all. The two Weasleys helped themselves first – Lucius could hardly keep his composure. Had they no manners?

'Mr. Malfoy. Draco. Tea?' Potter asked them.

'No, thank you,' Lucius replied, in a harsher tone than was necessary.

'Go on then, Potter, I'll have one,' Draco requested from across the table, grabbing a couple of biscuits while he was at it, 'So, how long are we going to have to wait here before she arrives then?'

'We're hoping she won't be too much longer,' Harry replied, handing Draco his tea and then taking his own cup and settling back down, 'Ron sent the message about half an hour ago. If she thinks it's urgent I'm sure she'll come.'

'Let's hope so,' Draco said, taking a sip of his tea.

Silence fell upon the group once again and for a while nothing was said or done except finishing off the tea and biscuits that Kreacher had prepared for them. Lucius felt uncharacteristically nervous - what if Hermione didn't turn up at all? Or even worse, what if he could not convince her to come back? They were both strong possibilities as far as he was concerned.

Then, they heard the front door slam from up above them.

Harry, Ron and Ginny jumped to their feet immediately, looking scattered as Draco simply rolled his eyes from his place at the table.

'Harry? Ron? Where are you?' a voice shouted from upstairs and Lucius felt like the wind was being knocked out of him as he realised it was hers.

'Hermione! We're down here, in the kitchen! Come on!'

They heard footsteps blundering down the staircase as fast as they could and Draco finally decided to lift himself up from his seat, moving to stand next to the others who were hovering near the door.

She appeared suddenly, breathing deeply and looking extremely pale.

'I came as soon as I heard, what –'

And then she stopped as she took in the strange scene before her. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Draco stood together in front of her, all looking rather shifty. She narrowed her eyes.

'Why does Ron appear to be in perfectly good health? As far as I was aware, manticores are extremely dangerous and he most certainly wouldn't be standing there like _that_ if you had –'

Her eyes narrowed even further as she realised she had been tricked. Before she had time to open her mouth, Ron, Ginny and Draco rushed past her – flying up the stairs as fast as they could – and leaving Harry to deal with it.

'Harry, what's going on?'

Harry's mouth was set in a grim, straight line. He grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her around to face the kitchen fully and pushed her inside. Her mouth fell open as she realised what she was seeing, not even noticing Harry escaping behind her back and locking the door behind him.

She stared at Lucius from her place near the door, just as shocked at seeing him as he was at seeing her. He looked a little lost for words.

His eyes entranced her. She had seen them flicker for many different reasons before now, whether it was because he was angry at her, or he was laughing at her, or he was annoyed about something … but never had she seen them so full of emotion before. He looked anguished, tense, furious, vulnerable and saddened all at once and it almost took her breath away.

But she had to find her voice. Hermione cleared her throat and took a tentative step forward.

'Er … hello,' she said simply, not able to even crack a smile while he continued to look like that. Apparently, he was unsure of what to do next and she noticed the tell-tale signs of the man having an internal struggle with himself. She took another step forward. As shocked as she was to see him she couldn't stand in silence.

'So this was their doing, then?' she asked, folding her arms as she internally cursed her friends.

'It was,' he answered simply, his eyes not wavering from hers once as he spoke. She could almost see the frustration within them, as he took the sight of her in. Perhaps she should explain herself as quickly as possible - getting this awkward conversation over with seemed like the best option under the circumstances.

'Lucius, I have to explain –'

'Yes, you do.'

She bit her lip, trying not to lose her composure. The few weeks away at her parents had given her time to think about things. Kingsley had covered for her at the Ministry by saying she was away on business for him, but she hadn't told Harry or Ron or anyone where she was.

It was difficult, seeing him again ... so unexpected and yet it was probably better this way.

She had convinced herself that on the night of the fundraiser he had been drunk and felt nothing for her … but the more she thought about it – even now - she had had just as many drinks as Lucius. They had sat at the same table all night and had danced together too. No, she had been a coward, persuading herself to believe that by going down this road, everything would be turned upside down. Well, it still might for all she knew, but that didn't mean it wasn't worth a try.

Him being here surely meant something. Surely it meant he felt _something_ for her?

It gave her hope. Maybe she was right in trusting him completely.

Hermione simply wanted to be friends with him again, at the very least. She _had_ missed him, as much as she tried to deny it.

She took another step forward and it was at that moment that he looked into her eyes. She could see the anger there, the mistrust … but she would not leave without some sort of closure. Not that she could leave, anyway.

'Weeks,' he muttered again, still not having moved from his spot in the middle of the kitchen, 'You have been gone for weeks. Why?'

She stepped forward once again.

'I was scared,' she whispered, wringing her hands in her nervous state, 'I panicked, okay? That whole night was a complete blur and then you –'

Hermione could barely finish her sentence. It was so difficult trying to find the right words to say.

'I what?' he spat back at her, 'I did nothing wrong, Miss Granger.'

'I never said you did,' she replied, putting a hand over her eyes in exasperation, 'It was me. I don't know whether it was the lights, the music, the alcohol or just that entire night in general, but everything felt different. And then that dance –'

'It is not a crime to ask a woman to dance.'

' _I never said it was,_ ' she argued, groaning in frustration, 'But it all became too much for me after that. People had been making comments to me all night, then when we danced together it was intensified … I just couldn't take it anymore.'

Lucius said nothing to her and his face remained blank for the first time since she had arrived. It was as if he was shutting down all his emotions again and the thought alone drove her mad. They needed to talk about this now or they probably never would.

'You helped me with my panic attack,' she stated. He simply sniffed at her.

'It was in the service of a colleague.'

The anger that flared was kept at bay … barely. She also felt a little bit hurt by his comment. She stared him down, wanting to make him uncomfortable.

'Oh, I see. So do you comfort all of your colleagues like that?'

Hermione could see his nostrils flare at her impertinence, but she did not stop. She moved even closer to him.

'Do you dance with your other colleagues the way you danced with me?' she asked him, her voice breaking as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Lucius's control seemingly snapped.

'Do not play games with me, woman!' he yelled at her, coming right up to her face even as she stood her ground, 'You have absolutely no right!'

Why was he here if just to torment her? No, she had to push this. She had to believe there was something there to fight for.

'Do you hold them the way you held me?' she asked, fighting back tears, 'Do you tell them everything's going to be alright? Tell me now, Lucius. Was that just real for me? Tell me right now.'

He looked absolutely furious, both of his hands shaking and his jaw set.

'It obviously wasn't real enough for _you_ ,' he taunted, baring his teeth, 'After you left me standing there looking like a fool that night. If it had been real for you, you would have contacted me. You didn't. For weeks! Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?'

'Lucius, don't you understand? I am so frightened,' she uttered, a lone tear falling down her cheek as she looked up at him, 'I am terrified of what is happening between us because I have never felt like this before. What do you want me to say? We hated each other for years! We were on different sides in the War, fighting against one another!'

'Yes and I was stupid enough to think that you could get past that!'

'I _am_ past it,' Hermione whispered, 'But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. It _did_ happen and we have to accept that as it will always be a part of our lives! Are you telling me that you haven't had the slightest hesitation about involving yourself with a Muggleborn?'

'Of course I have!' he retorted, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly, 'Idiot girl, of course I have had doubts! Almost every day of our acquaintance I thought of what the consequences would be if anyone found out about this _friendship._ But not just for myself – for you as well.'

'Well, I don't care what anyone else thinks,' she assured him, not bothering to wipe her wet face, ' _Any_ of them.'

'You haven't been here … you haven't seen the reaction to that _article_ –'

'What, _Skeeter?_ ' she said in disgust, wanting to slap him for his stupidity, 'Any wizard worth his salt knows that that woman writes absolute garbage at the best of times.'

'But it isn't garbage, is it? My own son saw what happened that night. People are cruel, Hermione, and the backlash –'

'I don't care about the _bloody backlash!_ ' she shrieked at him, hitting his chest, 'That's what I'm trying to tell you, you idiot! Stop making excuses, Lucius! If you don't want to be with me, fine, but at least be man enough to –'

' _Granger, why are you so dense?_ I would give up everything I hold dear for this, but I cannot do to you what I did to Narcissa - _I can't!'_

Lucius closed his eyes, breathing deeply and unable to look at the woman standing before him. She had been stunned into silence. His sudden realisation hit him like a ton of bricks … he could never be with her.

His mouth felt dry. He would take everything good from her life if they went through with this.

'I'm not a good man, Hermione,' he said, his hands still on her shoulders, holding her as closely to him as possible, 'I've done things in my life that you cannot possibly comprehend … I have hurt people, tortured people, killed people. All in the name of something I don't even believe in anymore. You cannot attach yourself to me without your name being tarnished – you are too good for me. Too pure. I will not put you through that like I did my wife. I won't.'

Hermione was crying silently again but she did not look away from him once.

'That War made all of us do horrible things, Lucius. I hurt people, too. I may not have killed, but I most certainly wanted to at times. No one is perfect, I told you that before. You are willing to put aside your own happiness for fear of dragging me down, but you are wrong to –'

'No,' he replied, letting go of her slightly as he shook his head, 'It would be a mistake.'

'How could it be a mistake?' she asked him, feeling shocked, 'How could _this –_ what we have together – be a mistake?'

'Because you have so much to live for,' he replied, stepping away from her as she watched on, 'You would not be living the life you truly deserve. Free of prejudice and hate. Do you honestly think people would just leave us alone to live our lives in peace? You would become a target.'

'No,' she whispered, shaking her head and trying to make him see sense, 'No …'

'We must be strong, Hermione. We must prevail. We can still work together, you and Draco and I, we can still be a team.'

'How is that any different then? People will still know -'

'It would be for our professional benefit. No one would think anything of it.'

'Lucius, why did you come here? Why did my friends lure me here to speak to you if this was all you had to say to me?'

'I did not know what I was going to say, Hermione,' he replied, looking just as heartbroken as she was feeling right now, 'I just wanted to speak to you, to see you again … but I know that this is the right choice for us to make.'

Hermione could barely contain her anger, her frustration, or her despair. The tears still fell from her eyes as she took a seat at the kitchen table, covering her head in her hands. She felt him move to stand beside her, placing one hand on her shoulder.

'You're supposed to be a Slytherin,' she accosted him with, using anything to her advantage, 'You're _supposed_ to be selfish. Am I not good enough?'

'You are too good. Too good for me, too good for any man … you are a treasure. And I will do nothing to take that away from you.'

He gripped her shoulder even tighter.

'We can still be friends.'

Hermione shook her head.

'I don't know if I can do that, Lucius … but I'll try.'

'We _can_ , Hermione. We must try. For all our sakes.'

Then she felt his presence move away, as he went to take Floo powder from next to the fireplace.

'One day, I hope, you will understand. I am truly sorry … I'll see you in the office on Monday.'

In a flash of bright green, Lucius was gone and she could no longer contain her sobs.

She had ruined everything.


	26. Chapter 26

26.

 _6_ _th_ _April 2002. Number 12 Grimmauld Place. London. The Kitchen Staircase._

'I'm going to _fucking kill him!_ ' Ginny shrieked, trying to get to the door as Harry and Ron held her back.

They could hear the sound of Malfoy leaving via the Floo and Hermione's sobs just got louder after that. Apparently listening through the Extendable Ears hadn't been the best idea.

Draco felt extremely uncomfortable but could not help agreeing with the Weasley chit. His father was an imbecile.

'After all that …' Ron said, seemingly in shock, 'She finally made her decision and he just said _no_? Is he absolutely insane?'

'He's more bloody noble than we ever gave him credit for,' Harry commented angrily, 'Usually it's something I would applaud but in this case I want to tear the bastard limb from limb.'

Draco gave a low whistle.

'Well, as fun as this has been, I think I'm just going to –'

'Oh, no you don't!' Potter interrupted, grabbing Draco's arm before he could escape, 'You're going to take us to your father _right now_ and we'll have a lovely little chat over what we had discussed yesterday about _not hurting Hermione._ '

Draco didn't like the ominous sound of Potter's voice but he stayed completely cool even as he was being manhandled.

'And as fun as that would undoubtedly be, Potter, I think you'll find there are very few people in this world who can persuade my father to do anything these days. Granger was one of them – but if she has failed, I doubt you're going to make much difference. He won't be swayed in his decision. Just look after your friend and I'll deal with it, alright?'

 _Just like I have to deal with everything else in this fucking family,_ he thought to himself, watching as Potter seemed to contemplate his words. He let go of his arm.

'Fine, but you come back to me as soon as you have spoken to him.'

Draco scowled.

'I'm not your lackey, Potter, as much as you would love the idea of it,' he spat at him, looking disgusted, 'I will not be reporting back to you every time I have a conversation with my father.'

The man looked like he wanted to argue with him, but Weasley stepped in.

'There's nothing we can do, mate. Just let them go. Hermione's what matters now anyway.'

Harry seemed to come to his senses at the mention of her name and nodded silently at his best friend. He looked at Malfoy one last time.

'You tell your dad to stay away from her from now on, do you hear me? He had his chance. He blew it. You can work with her on the campaign if you still want to, I don't care, but _he_ is never to speak to her again.'

Draco rolled his eyes and turned on the spot to head back upstairs.

'I'll relay the message to him, Potter,' he replied drily and they all listened as the front door slammed once again. Ginny sighed.

'I think it's maybe best if I speak to her first.'

'Why should _you_ get to –'

'I don't really think that's fair –'

' _Shut it!_ ' she hissed at them, glaring at them both one by one, 'Harry, this was your idea in the first place and look where that's got us, so _no,_ you will not be speaking to her before I do. Ron … well, you're her ex-boyfriend, this is just a bit too awkward for you to handle to be honest. _I_ will talk to her. Now get lost!'

The boys tutted, but didn't dare argue with her and they both climbed back upstairs looking extremely dejected.

Ginny got rid of all evidence of the Extendable Ears first before opening the door to the kitchen. The sight of Hermione crying into her hands where she sat at the table was something she never wanted to experience again. She looked devastated.

As she closed the door behind her, Hermione looked up to see who was there. She sighed loudly and attempted to wipe her eyes with her sleeve.

'If you've come here to gloat I seriously suggest you think again. I'm really not in the mood right now.'

Ginny sat down next to her friend, putting an arm around her shoulders.

'I'm not gloating, idiot,' she said, 'I came to see if you were alright, actually.'

Hermione shook her head, sniffling slightly as she tried to pull herself together.

'I'm not, Ginny. I'm an absolute mess. I've known the man for a grand total of three months and _this_ is what he's done to me already.'

Her friend scowled.

'Yeah, I know … if it had been up to me he would be pickled in a jar right about now, but my delightful fiancé and brother held me back.'

She was glad to hear Hermione laugh a little, but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

'Maybe he's right, Ginny … maybe things wouldn't have worked out between us anyway.'

'Well, maybe not, but that didn't give him the right to stop it before you even got a chance to find out. He's a cowardly little slug … although in some way I get where he is coming from. You are too good for him, Hermione and I'll bet you he knows that himself. Now, though, I think it's time you found someone who's going to be completely worthy of you. Someone who will do anything for you.'

Hermione's lip trembled again, but she fought against another wave of tears valiantly.

'I really thought he was it … I guess I was too late. I made a mistake when I left him the other week. I swear to Merlin he was about to kiss me but I panicked –'

'Yep, that's enough information,' Ginny interrupted, screwing up her eyes as she tried to get rid of the mental picture.

Hermione chuckled again.

'Sorry. I guess this was just too weird for everyone, wasn't it?'

Ginny shook her head, looking sad again.

'We would've got used to it, Hermione. All of us. For your sake, at least. I never liked the man personally but he always did what was best by you. Well, until now.'

'He _is_ doing what he thinks is best. He kept going on about how he didn't want to force me down the same road as Narcissa.'

'And I would usually understand that, but he seemed to have changed. Not in essentials, mind you, he's still an arrogant prick, but he doesn't seem to bother with any of that Dark Arts nonsense anymore. Hell, he was even being nicer to House-Elves from what I heard.'

'Yeah …' Hermione whispered, conjuring a handkerchief so she could blow her nose.

Ginny gave her friend another small hug.

'Everything will turn out okay in the end, Hermione. You'll see. You got through a bloody Wizarding War, for crying out loud, I have no doubt that you're strong enough to get through this too.'

She just nodded in return and Ginny felt like she had said enough on this subject.

'Harry and Ron aren't very happy.'

Hermione rolled her eyes.

'When are they _ever_ with him?'

'True. Harry sent Draco packing to tell his father he's never to come near you again.'

'Oh, for goodness sake,' Hermione groaned, putting her head in her hands, 'I do wish they'd just leave everything alone now … but I don't have the strength to argue with them at the moment.'

'You never know, it might be good for you. Not seeing him for a while could clear your head.'

'No. It will just make it worse when I do eventually have to face him. It's better just getting it over and done with.'

'Are you honestly going to try and stay friends with the man?' Ginny asked, looking a little worried. Hermione just shrugged.

'I don't hate him, Ginny, as much as this hurts. I don't want the campaign affected either. I guess we'll just go back to the way we used to be before …'

'Yeah. Stupid _feelings._ '

'Exactly,' Hermione laughed, standing up from her seat, 'I'll be okay, I really will. Thanks for making me see that.'

'You're welcome. That's what I'm here for.'

Hermione sighed, placing one hand on her hip as she gazed around the kitchen.

'Well, I guess it makes sense to move back in here again. Nothing really to fear now, is there?'

Ginny smiled and patted her on the back.

'Come on. I'll help you get any stuff you need. It'll keep us busy, anyway _and_ keep those idiot boys out of our hair for a while. I've still not completely decided whether I should hex them or not.'

They both grinned at each other and left the kitchen in silence.


	27. Chapter 27

27.

 _26_ _th_ _April 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

Hermione was finally beginning to feel a bit better about life. The last two weeks had been a lot of fun: Ginny had been keeping her busy, both of them helping as much as possible with preparations for Percy and Audrey's wedding, which was due to take place in the summer; Harry and Ron had been visiting her regularly during her lunch hour; Parvati had even visited her at Grimmauld Place a couple of times to bring her all the interesting news from the other departments.

Hermione found herself getting on really well with Parvati now – much to Ron's pleasure – and although she suspected Ginny had put her up to it in the beginning, they were now keeping in touch a lot more often.

Her work had been going extremely well too. After the success of the fundraiser in March, a lot more Ministry employees seemed open to the idea of House-Elf rights and she had received a number of letters in support of her new campaign. Kingsley had been deeply impressed with it all and had sent out pamphlets to every office about the Being Division's proposals for them to look over; Hermione had been over the moon.

Yes, everything was definitely looking up.

No matter how hard she tried, however, Lucius was simply refusing to leave her mind. There wasn't a day that went by when she wasn't thinking about him and it was driving her insane. Ginny had told her on a number of occasions to snap out of it and just go on dates with someone else, but it was a lot easier said than done. She wasn't interested in anyone else.

Both Lucius and Draco hadn't been near the office since the 6th, although she had been owling the latter back and forth quite a bit. She had needed some funding for the production of the Ministry pamphlets and Draco had been more than happy to oblige. They were also discussing the possibility of the next function, but were having a hard time deciding on what the event should actually _be_.

The answer came, nonetheless, to Hermione out of nowhere, as she sat on her lunch break in the Magical Creatures staff room, glancing over a vast number of old Witch Weekly magazines.

Her eyes stopped upon a familiar face, scowling up from one of the front covers. The edition itself was well over a year old, but she grabbed it up from the table in excitement, ignoring the spoon that was still hanging precariously halfway towards her mouth.

 _Viktor Krum._

She forgot completely about her soup and left the staff room in a rush, the copy of Witch Weekly gripped in her hand as she practically ran back to the office, closing the door with a slam as soon as she entered.

'Expecto Patronum!' she whispered and her familiar silver otter flew from the tip of her wand and turned to face her. It never failed to cheer her up a little bit.

'To Draco Malfoy: come to the office as soon as possible. I have an idea.'

With a small nod of its head, the otter disappeared, leaving Hermione to scan over the magazine again.

It was such a perfect idea she had no idea why she hadn't thought of it before. What was more quintessentially Wizard than Quidditch? Everyone loved Quidditch. Even the people who didn't follow it still enjoyed the total thrill of seeing a professional match. It was genius …

Hermione only had another second to marvel at the brilliance of the idea before someone tapped on her door. She swung it open immediately to see Draco standing behind it, looking irritated.

'It still freaks me out when you send that _thing_ for me, you know.'

'Wow, that was quick,' she commented, standing aside to let him in, 'How on earth did you get here so fast? And it's not a _thing._ It's an otter.'

'Whatever,' he said dismissively, placing himself down on the seat behind her desk and folding his arms, 'I'm not exactly snowed under with business offers Granger, I am yours to command at all times, you'll be pleased to hear. So come on then, are you going to stand there all day or tell me what your brilliant idea is?'

Hermione shook her head, rolling her eyes as she closed the door. She didn't want to sit down as she was so excited. She held up the magazine for Draco to see. He looked mightily confused.

'Viktor Krum?' he said in disgust, staring at her as if she were mad, 'What, are we going to kidnap him and sell him off to the highest bidder or something?'

'Don't be a prat,' she replied, walking around to sit herself on top of her desk next to him, 'Not just Viktor Krum. _Quidditch._ We could host a charity Quidditch match!'

Draco, to her disappointment, was looking extremely sceptical.

'Do you have any comprehension of how difficult that would be to organise? Think of how long the World Cup takes to sort out every year –'

'We're not talking about the World Cup, idiot, not on that scale anyway. We can use one of the stadiums already built in Britain – the Harpies', or the Cannons' or something – because all of the anti-Muggle Repelling charms will be in place for us. We can set up portkeys for transportation. It would only be for Ministry employees again and their families so it won't be on the same scale as the World Cup. And we can use famous Quidditch players and put them into teams! I can contact Viktor, we can ask Harry to play and Ginny, Ron, maybe even Gwenog Jones and you have contacts in the Department of Magical Games and Sports and –'

'Bloody hell, Granger, _calm down,_ ' Draco interrupted, standing up to place his hands on her shoulders in a calming gesture, 'You're going to give yourself a heart attack.'

Hermione was too excited to care.

'Come on, Draco, you know it could work! If we planned it for a month, maybe two, we could get everything we need together … this could perhaps be the final push towards helping us pass these laws. _Come on._ '

Draco sighed, placing his fingers on the bridge of his nose.

'I'm probably going to regret this, but fine.'

Hermione squealed, pulling the man in for a hug unexpectedly. He stood stock still, not bothering to hug the woman back as he looked at her with disgust on his face.

'Merlin, your happiness makes me sick at times,' he commented, rolling his eyes as she simply laughed at him.

'This will be wonderful. It'll be a little warm up match for some of the players before the World Cup during the summer. I'll need to contact Viktor straight away –'

'Wait, what's the point in involving Krum? Shouldn't we just keep it more national?'

'I've been meaning to write to him anyway,' Hermione replied, waving him off dismissively, 'And he has a number of contacts with the British and Irish teams from what he was telling me in his last letter. Apparently the Falmouth Falcons were looking for a –'

'Spare me,' Draco sighed, blocking out Granger's monologue as he began to wonder what the hell he had gotten himself into.

He also wondered how his father would react when he mentioned that Granger was sending regular letters to bloody Viktor Krum.

Lucius Malfoy hadn't been in the best place recently. Draco had had very little sympathy for him – and he had told him that to his face once – but nonetheless it was difficult to see his father in pain. His current battles with Narcissa weren't making it much better either as she was still determined to not go through with the divorce.

Perhaps it would be best if his father got involved with this new project … Granger appeared to be in better spirits these days and he was sure no harm would come of it. It might be good for him, actually.

Resolved to ask him as soon as he got home, Draco took his leave of Hermione and wandered out of the Ministry, hoping secretly that things wouldn't get any more hectic than they already were.


	28. Chapter 28

28.

 _26_ _th_ _April 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. First Study._

Merlin, his father looked absolutely fucking miserable. Draco was starting to wonder if he would _ever_ move out of the study considering he had spent most of his time there for the past three months. Bloody Granger and her wiles.

'Afternoon, Draco,' his father greeted from behind his desk, pretending to look like he was working on something. Well, he supposed that was an improvement on sitting in front of the fire with a bottle of scotch.

'Father,' Draco acknowledged, taking the seat in front of him. He wasn't really sure where to start with this conversation, given that he had just returned from a meeting with Granger. Perhaps it was best to just start with the news of the idea they had come up with for the next event – but Lucius beat him to it.

'How did your meeting go?'

Draco grimaced slightly, remembering the horrendous excitement on Granger's face when she told him her idea.

His father had wanted to come to the meeting, as he had been there when her bloody ghost Otter thing had found him earlier. Draco was not oblivious as to how Lucius had seemed to almost shut down when he heard her voice emanating from it … that was one of reasons that convinced him that his father wasn't ready to see her again. He told him so before he left, reiterating that there was a strong possibility that Granger wouldn't be comfortable with seeing him anyway.

Now that he had actually seen Granger and how well she seemed to be doing it was a different story. The fact that his father was also prepared to talk about her was promising - perhaps they were both ready to see each other again.

Lucius had not taken the news of Harry Potter's threats very well. As a matter of fact, he was furious about it. There was nothing he could do, however, as Potter was the one calling the shots these days, particularly where their family was involved. One wrong move and they could find themselves in prison. And so his father had just stayed at home, moping around in his office and trying to ignore the stabbings of jealousy whenever Draco received a letter from Hermione. His son, on the other hand, was watching his father with irritation as he clearly pined for the woman – if he had just taken his chance a few weeks ago he wouldn't be in this mess.

Nonetheless, Draco felt it best to keep the man up to speed on the goings on with the campaign. It was still the family's money being used after all.

'It was alright. Went rather quick. That woman can talk for England,' he muttered, rolling his eyes, 'She's gotten it into her head that the next event should be a charity Quidditch match. She wants to involve everyone she knows, apparently. Potter will be taking part as well as the Weasleys and Krum –'

'Krum?' Lucius asked, his head shooting up from the piece of parchment he was staring at, 'Why do we need to involve _Krum?'_

'Allegedly, he has a great number of contacts,' Draco replied, watching his father carefully for a reaction, 'Granger writes to him sometimes.'

The older man's eyes seemed to flash in anger for a millisecond, but then they were blank again. He was now acting as if the news were nothing at all.

'Well, I'm sure that will be an adequate way of bringing the Wizarding community together,' he commented, returning back to his writing, 'Just let me know if I need to do anything and it will be done.'

'Of course.'

They sat in silence for a few moments and Draco was convinced that his father would be pondering over the relationship between Granger and Krum. He certainly had before himself, even way back in their fourth year when she had accompanied him to the Yule Ball. Pansy had been absolutely livid that day … jealousy, he supposed.

BANG!

The two men jumped to their feet as soon as they heard a door slamming outside, but they barely even made it to the exit before it flew open.

Narcissa stood in front of them, looking absolutely livid.

She held in her hand the latest correspondence from Lucius. Obviously, she hadn't been very happy about it.

Lucius remembered writing it well, as he had felt a small sense of satisfaction when he sent it off. She wasn't going to get away with attempting to stop this divorce - no, he was too cunning for that.

Before Draco could even open his mouth to say hello to his mother, she was snarling.

'What is the _meaning_ of this?' she spat at her husband, throwing the parchment at him in disgust, 'I have absolutely no idea what you are insinuating by it, but –'

'Oh, do give it a rest, Narcissa,' Lucius interrupted, looking positively bored with the interruption, 'There is no point in trying to resist the inevitable. I already know.'

'Know _what?_ ' she demanded, her arms pinned to her sides with rage.

'Your little escapades in France have not gone unnoticed,' he replied, walking back to sit behind his desk as if he were having an everyday conversation instead of an argument, 'You thought you could hide them from me but you put your trust in the wrong people, unfortunately.'

Narcissa's face was getting paler by the second, but whether it was out of embarrassment or out of anger, one couldn't tell.

'This is absolutely preposterous, you cannot _force_ me to get a divorce, you must have my willing consent and you know it!'

'Ah, that _was_ a clause, my dear, until you decided to plant your affections in less exalted grounds,' Lucius stated, barely even batting an eyelid, 'Surely you read through our entire marriage contract, Narcissa? I just assumed that you had, you are a smart woman in spite of your other faults.'

'My faults? I rather think that my –'

'At this moment in time and in this argument, my faults are of no matter. In spite of _my_ faults, I have not slept with anyone else throughout our entire marriage. I can be proud of that, at least.'

At this point, the woman began to stutter, her eyes reduced to slits as she attempted to come up with the worst possible insults to throw at her husband.

'Come now, let's not make this any more difficult than it has to be,' Lucius told her, eyeing his son in the corner, 'This isn't the best way to handle the situation, particularly in front of Draco.'

'Draco knows everything, it is of no matter,' Narcissa replied, almost looking to her son for support. Draco simply shook his head and walked out of the room, sidestepping his mother as he did so. Lucius gazed at her.

'I wouldn't expect your son to be very forgiving at the moment. The divorce is hard enough on him, never mind the evidence of your infidelities –'

'My _infidelities_ were not the ones that destroyed this marriage, Lucius. It is high time you took some responsibility for yourself.'

'I have already accepted my faults and my responsibility in this,' he assured her, beginning to write again, 'The whole country knows of them, how can I brush them under the carpet?'

'Yes, even your association with Mudbloods! Did you not expect me to see that –'

'Don't you _dare_ call her a Mudblood,' Lucius warned, suddenly looking extremely dangerous. His eyes bore into hers with the deepest hatred and she flinched. He returned to his papers.

'Accept this, Narcissa and you can move on with your life. I already have.'

He was dismissing her … she knew it. But that didn't not make her feel any less furious. Narcissa stormed from the house in a matter of seconds, slamming the front door behind her.

Lucius waited until he heard the familiar _crack_ of disapparation and then put down his quill. There were not enough curse words under the son to describe that woman.

How _dare_ she refer to Hermione as a Mudblood? After all she had done for them? Narcissa didn't care … she was a selfish woman, albeit when it came to her son. The fact that Hermione had been willing to sacrifice her own reputation by consorting with the Malfoys meant that their own standing in society improved – they had much to be thankful for.

He couldn't concentrate anymore. Any time he tried to write something, her face would pop into his mind. Or he could smell something from the garden which reminded him of her … at night sometimes, he could hear her laughter, taunting him …

This was his punishment, he knew it. In turning down Hermione Granger – and his own happiness too – he was doomed to see her everywhere and in everything for the rest of his life. Every day that passed he felt even more like he had made a terrible mistake in turning her down, even if it had been for selfless reasons.

Draco had no idea how much he suffered day by day. He had been resolute in keeping his feelings from his son, even though sometimes it felt impossible.

He didn't want him to see his father any more weak and pathetic than he already was.

Sighing lightly, he placed his head in his hands, trying to get the vision of her out of his mind - but he was just making things worse.

On his better days, he often imagined her in every room of the house. He knew how wonderful it would have felt to have her there with him. He saw her huddled up in an armchair by the fire in the library, poring over every book she possibly could; he saw her sitting across from him at the dining table, laughing at a story he had just told her; he saw her sitting on the grass in the gardens, watching the clouds go by; he saw her lying in his bed, wearing nothing but his silk dressing gown …

He groaned loudly, feeling like slapping himself continuously over the head until all thoughts of her just disappeared. It was unbearable.

He knew that he would have to see her. If he could be reminded of any of her imperfections – there weren't that many, but they _were_ there – perhaps it would force him to see he had made the right choice and he could begin to forget about her. Going back to normal life was difficult, but he would feel a lot more at peace if he wasn't having a constant battle with himself in his mind.

Yes, he was determined. He would see her this week. There was nothing else for it.

Until then, he had to try to get back to his usual self. Maybe if he went out for a few drinks with his son it would bring some of that back.


	29. Chapter 29

29.

 _26_ _th_ _April 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Livingroom._

'Oh, come on, Granger, don't be so bloody boring,' George slurred, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, 'It's Friday night, come and have some fun!'

Hermione grimaced, trying to disentangle herself from George's arm. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet and he was already drunk. Granted, he didn't get drunk very often anymore but he had the weekend off from work and as usual planned on making the most of it.

'I don't know, George, I've got things to do, you know.'

'Pfft, rubbish!' he replied, looking over to his brother for help, 'Come on, Ron, tell her she has to come out with us!'

Ron looked slightly put out at being called upon to rectify the situation and gave Hermione a half-hearted shrug. They both knew they didn't have much of a choice when George was so full of it.

'We're going too, Hermione, it won't be that bad,' he tried to reason with her as he sat on the couch with a glass of firewhisky, 'And you haven't been out for a while.'

'Yeah!' George interrupted again, pouting at Hermione this time, 'You didn't even come out for my birthday, Hermione, you weren't here, remember?'

Ah, there it was. The guilt trip. Hermione put a hand over her eyes so George wouldn't see her rolling them. She knew she was getting no other option tonight so what was the point in putting it off?

'Okay, _fine,_ ' she conceded, as George cheered, 'But only because I missed your birthday.'

'Good enough reason for me, I'll get you a drink.'

George disappeared off into the kitchen and Hermione turned to the Weasley patriarch with pleading eyes.

'You wouldn't fancy coming, Arthur, would you? I would like to have some _civilised_ conversation tonight, if at all possible.'

The man laughed cheerfully but shook his head at her.

'No can do, Hermione. Molly and I have already made plans to visit Bill and Fleur – should be leaving in a few minutes actually. We haven't seen them in a while.'

Resigning herself to her fate, she took a seat next to Harry, who was currently engrossed in a Quidditch magazine that she hadn't heard of before.

'Are you definitely coming, Harry?'

'Mm,' he grunted at her, flipping the page. _Men._

'I promise we'll not just spend the entire night in the Leaky,' Ron said to her, patting her hand a little, 'I said I'd visit Aberforth at the Hog's Head this weekend. We could do that first, if you like?'

'Oh, that would be nice. I've not seen him in so long …'

'Me neither. I like to keep in contact with him though. See how things are going.'

If Hermione had thought Harry and Albus Dumbledore were an odd friendship, it was nothing to her reaction when she found out that Ron and Aberforth still met up with each other every now and then. The Weasley boys made it their business to tell everyone how great the Hog's Head was if you wanted a quiet atmosphere on a night out, but she figured they only said that because Aberforth was their friend as opposed to it being true. The small pub in Hogsmeade hadn't changed much at all in the last four years and the Three Broomsticks still took in more business. However, it was nice to know that the old man still had a group of people he could rely on for service. They all felt it was the least they could do after his help during the War.

George returned instantaneously with a glass of firewhisky, which Hermione immediately turned her nose up at.

'You do realise that Ginny is the only woman in this family who actually _drinks_ this stuff.'

'Oh, just get it down you, Hermione. Alcohol isn't meant to taste wonderful. That's not the point of it.'

She shot him a glare before taking a small sip from the glass and began coughing and spluttering immediately afterwards. She could hear the boys sniggering at her but tried to ignore it, forcing the liquid down her throat in an attempt to numb her dread at having to go out.

Hermione didn't really like drinking out much. Especially in places like Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade where they were instantly recognised by members of the Wizarding community. It wasn't the fact that they were forced to retell stories from the War, or that people were constantly buying her drinks all night, but she did want to just go out every once in a while and have fun with her friends in peace.

Ron had seemed to enjoy it most out of all of them at first, but even he was getting a bit sick of it now. They all appreciated why it happened, of course, but it didn't make it any easier.

Perhaps going to the Hog's Head first and having a few drinks there wouldn't be the worst idea in the world. At least it would be quiet.

Mrs. Weasley bustled into the room, an overnight bag packed for her and Arthur. They were staying over at Shell Cottage so they could spend the entire day with Victoire tomorrow. If there was one thing that Molly Weasley had been destined to be, it was a grandmother.

Right now, however, she was looking flustered and looked to her husband to help her.

'Come on, Arthur! We need to get moving, they're expecting us now!'

'Yes, Molly, dear,' Arthur replied, getting up from his seat next to the fire and waving at the rest of them, 'Have a good night, everyone.'

They all waved back at the couple, who departed via the Floo a few seconds later. George clapped his hands with glee and ran back into the kitchen and almost immediately Ron groaned, putting his head in his hands. Hermione simply looked confused.

'He's getting out the Muggle alcohol,' Harry explained, watching as Ron's older brother bounded back in with two bottles clearly marked _Absinthe._

'No!' they all shouted at him simultaneously and George's face fell.

'Aw, come on you lot, it'll be fun!'

'George, I'm pretty sure that stuff isn't even legal in this country. Put it back,' Hermione told him, pointing back to the kitchen. The man scowled for a second, but did as he was told.

'I will not be drinking anything your brother gives me after your night out, Ron,' Harry told them, shaking his head as if trying to rid himself of the memory.

Ron's face turned a little white.

'Merlin, I can still remember the taste of the stuff … I genuinely thought I'd never be able to drink anything again.'

'Yes, well, you two didn't have to meet with an events planner at ten o'clock the next morning,' Hermione reminded them, taking a swig of her firewhisky even as she made a face.

Ron and Harry both chuckled.

'Oh, yeah, I'd forgotten about that … you threw up so many times that night, Hermione, I actually lost count.'

'I was still being sick the morning after too, the last time being just outside the gates of Malfoy Manor. I was bloody lucky.'

Ron snorted with laughter, holding his stomach whilst trying to keep a firm grip on his drink. Harry gave her a small smile.

'You look a lot better, Hermione … after, you know …'

She nodded at her best friend, smiling back.

'I feel better, Harry. Honestly, things have been really good.'

'I'm glad,' he nodded, his face then blanching as George sidled back into the room, another bottle in his hand.

'Vodka shots!'

'NO.'


	30. Chapter 30

30.

 _26_ _th_ _April 2002. Hogsmeade. Scotland._

'Why are we here?' George moaned at them all, holding on to Ron's arm for support as they all began to make their way towards Aberforth's bar, 'It is possibly the most boring pub on the planet and you all know it.'

'Oh, do shut up, George. We're visiting your friend, we won't be staying there all night,' Hermione replied, getting annoyed with him even more than she already was, 'Just keep your mouth shut and I'll buy you a drink when we get in, alright?'

The man grunted in response, finally letting go of his brother's arm and sauntering away in front by himself. He was trying to prove he wasn't twice as drunk as the rest of them were, but failing quite miserably. Harry simply laughed and rolled his eyes at him as he turned to Hermione.

'Come on, give him a break. You know it's coming up to the anniversary soon. He always gets a bit like this.'

With a pang, Hermione realised what Harry was talking about. She had been so caught up with everything else that was going on her life that she had completely forgotten that it was almost the anniversary of Fred's death. And Remus'. And Tonks' too. How could she have forgotten?

They always had a special dinner at Grimmauld Place whenever May the second came around and Harry tried his absolute best to keep the vibe happy, even as he was struggling with his own emotions. Hermione had found that she could be the one to take care of that, not because it didn't matter as much to her but because she had just always been better at dealing with things like that. Her mind was always focussed on the present task and she had no time to feel sorry for herself when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had lost a son and Teddy had lost his parents.

Trying to think about other things, Hermione looked forward to see the Hog's Head coming into view and she smiled. The memory of their first DA meeting had always stayed with her and it cheered her up just a little bit at the thought of Dolores Umbridge rotting in Azkaban prison.

'You would think he'd have tried to refurbish it a bit,' Ron commented, shaking his head as the building rose in front of them, looking as dilapidated as ever.

'Would it have the same charm, though?' Hermione asked with a laugh and walked inside after the men.

 _Some things never change,_ she thought, as the inside looked exactly the same as it had in her fifth year. She could also swear that some of the customers were the same too, but thankfully they didn't have as much to fear from them this time.

'Alright, Ab?' George greeted, grinning at the old man standing behind the bar.

Aberforth Dumbledore was dressed as he always was – like a Muggle barman, apron and all. He still looked a little like his brother, particularly now he was getting older, and their bright blue eyes were identical. He nodded at them all as they filed in.

'Evening, you lot. Long time, no see.'

'Yeah, well, Auror stuff, you know,' Ron replied, watching as Aberforth reached under the bar to get some glasses, 'How's business?'

'Usual,' the man grunted, 'Can't complain. Still a bit better than it was before the War and that makes all the difference.'

They all took their drinks from the man gratefully, appreciating that he had used one of his cleaner cloths to get all the dust off of them.

Hermione took to looking around the room as the others continued talking to Aberforth, taking a gulp of her drink. Needless to say, it was vile. She made a face, but drank it anyway, knowing George would have a go at her if she didn't.

It was quiet in here, as usual, although there were few more customers tonight due to it being the weekend. The usual suspects sat along the bar, some of them with their faces covered. She was looking out for the possibility that some of her old Hogwarts teachers might be here, but they would most likely still drink in the Three Broomsticks. Her eyes then fell onto a table in the corner, where two blonde men were sitting huddled together, glasses of firewhisky in their hands.

Oh, no.

Hermione tugged desperately on Harry's sleeve as he was speaking to the others and he turned to her eventually, looking irritated.

'What is it, Hermione, can't you see I'm talking to –'

Too late.

Harry was drunk enough now so that his voice was slightly magnified as he spoke and her face went red as she realised that both Draco and Lucius Malfoy had heard her name being mentioned.

 _Bloody hell, fuck, shit, bollocks, no, no, no …_

She couldn't not look at them. They had made eye contact now.

Draco sat as he always did: poised, with an aura of superiority. He simply nodded towards her.

Lucius, however, could obviously not care less about how he was sitting at this moment. He was staring at her, in possibly the most undignified manner he ever had. She was blushing more with each passing second and she gave them both a small wave before turning back to the bar.

Harry looked slightly apologetic, but that didn't stop her from glaring at him as if he were a piece of dirt on her shoe.

Ron and George weren't really paying attention, still engrossed in a conversation with Aberforth.

'Harry, what am I going to do?' she asked him in a whisper, not looking anywhere in the gentleman's direction, 'What are they doing here?'

'Just act natural, Hermione, alright? Everything will be fine.'

'It would have been better if I had actually seen him since – _then._ But, no, you being the _wonderful_ friend you are forbade him from stepping within two –'

'Hermione?'

She froze mid-speech and she could see Harry looking at someone behind her with a slight frown on his face. She turned slowly, knowing exactly who it would be but that didn't make it any easier for her.

Lucius was standing behind them both, his facial expression blank once again. There was a keen look in his eyes, however, that Hermione noticed. She noticed everything about him.

She cleared her throat.

'Eh … hi,' she replied, her body stiff with discomfort. She could practically feel Harry's eyes boring into the back of her head.

'You look well,' Lucius commented and she felt herself blush harder. Regardless of what she was wearing, whenever he looked at any part of her other than her face, her body seared with heat.

It was still there. Even after weeks of separation from him, she felt everything come rushing back in an instant. She felt dizzy.

'If you'll excuse me, I'm just going to get some air,' she said hurriedly, dropping her glass down on the bar and rushing outside as fast as she could without looking ridiculous.

The cold wind was a wonderful feeling and she took a deep breath of it as she leaned against the wall.

There was no way she was going back in there. Absolutely no way.

All of a sudden, she heard the door opening from beside her and without even thinking she bolted away from the Hog's Head, in the direction of the Shrieking Shack. Hopefully no one would bother her over there …

No such luck.

'Hermione, please wait,' she heard a voice say and her stomach dropped when she realised Lucius was following her. She did not stop walking, however.

'I can't talk right now,' she told him, not looking the man in the face even as he caught up to her.

'We need to talk. I almost had to hex your friend back there just so he would let me past. I had to see you.'

She didn't need to hear this right now. They continued walking, Hermione doing so as quickly as possible and without saying a word to Lucius whatsoever.

'Aren't you going to talk to me?' he asked and she could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

'No,' she replied shortly, moving her arm away as he attempted to take it, 'And don't touch me, either.'

'Hermione, please –'

'No,' she repeated, navigating the slight slope that lead down to the fence surrounding the Shrieking Shack. He was still following her.

'For Merlin's sake, woman, would you just listen to me?'

'Absolutely not,' she replied, finally looking back at him with a scowl on her face. They had stopped at the exact spot where Harry had tormented the Slytherins with his Invisibility Cloak in their third year. The fact Lucius resembled Draco so much was not helping.

'Why should I listen to you at all? You said you would still come into work. You said we would still be friends. Were they empty promises?'

Lucius looked a little uncomfortable at her words but he stood his ground anyway.

'Your _friend_ forbade me from ever coming near you again, what do you think would have happened if he had discovered I had been to see you?'

' _Nothing!_ ' she practically shouted, scaring a few birds from their nests above them, 'Do you honestly think Harry would have thrown you in Azkaban just for keeping in contact with me? I get to choose who I speak to, not Harry bloody Potter.'

'I hasten to add you made no effort to contact me either,' he replied, looking calmer than she was but she could hear the irritation in his voice, 'And I cannot risk being sent back to prison, you know that.'

'More like you can't risk being seen with me,' she threw back in his face, turning away from him with her arms folded across her chest.

'That is not fair, Hermione,' he said in a quiet voice, 'You know the reason why I can't be with you – and it has absolutely nothing to do with that. You know it doesn't.'

Hermione sighed.

'I thought I knew ... I knew a lot of things. You screwed everything up for me.'

He chuckled slightly, moving to stand next to her as they looked at the stars.

'Hermione,' he began, his voice sounding sincere again, 'Please believe me when I tell you, that in spite of what has happened between us, I have missed you greatly. My mornings are not the same without you shouting at me for disturbing your bookshelf.'

She laughed quietly, feeling slightly less angry now. How was it so impossible for her to stay angry at him? She felt like pouting and stamping her feet on the ground like a child. It wasn't fair.

'Why does everything have to be so difficult?'

Lucius shrugged.

'Life is difficult, I suppose. Made all the more so by people like my scheming wife.'

'Is she not taking the separation well?'

'Oh, no, it's not that. She seems to have it in her head that she can still be married to me and yet she can also – how do the young ones say it? Get her _kicks_ somewhere else.'

Hermione snorted with laughter.

'Maybe twenty years ago, Malfoy, I don't know anyone who says that now.'

'Give an old man a break, Hermione. Twenty years ago I was still young.'

'You're not that old,' she teased, giving him a smile, 'And you are a real improvement on all the young men nowadays, who are either idiots or absolutely full of themselves.'

Lucius smirked.

'What a cynical point of view. I would never have expected it from you, of all people.'

'Yes, well, men and relationships aren't things I've been particularly successful with so far.'

'Perhaps not,' he replied, feeling uncomfortable as she said so. She just smiled once more.

'Come on, don't make things weird … we're almost back to normal again, aren't we?'

Hermione felt her insides spin as Lucius looked deep into her eyes. It was like she could see into his very soul and she became lost in the endless grey …

'I don't think I will ever feel normal again when you are nearby, Hermione.'

She really wanted to look away, but found it impossible. Even as he began to move closer to her, so close that she could see his every eyelash, that were just as blonde as his hair.

'That's unfortunate,' she managed to say as he slowly placed his hands on either side of her face and guided his lips down towards hers …

'OI!'

The couple jumped apart as soon as they heard the voice and Hermione felt herself scream internally as Harry, Ron, George and Draco came rushing down the slope towards them. They all looked furious.

'Harry, don't you dare –'

It was too late. Harry threw his fist towards Lucius, who didn't have time to duck.

CRACK.

'HARRY!' Hermione screamed, running to Lucius as he staggered backwards, holding onto to his now bloody and broken nose.

Draco rushed forward to stop Harry taking another punch at his father – George was already having to restrain Ron.

'What the _fuck_ do you think you're playing at, Malfoy!?' Harry shouted at him, his face red with fury, as he fought to get past Draco, 'How fucking dare you go near her again after what you did to her!'

'Harry, please –' Hermione began, tears starting in her eyes.

'NO!' he shouted, unable to throw off the younger Malfoy, as hard as he tried, 'Do you have _any_ idea how cut up she was when you left her? Hermione was only just starting to get on with her life and then you go and do this!'

Ron was apparently too furious to even form words and even though George showed no intention to beat Lucius to a pulp, he too was looking angry.

Hermione turned to Lucius, pulling out her wand to correct his nose and siphon the blood away.

'Are you alright?' she asked him, trying to block out the struggle going on behind her.

He just nodded with a small smile, but he showed no indication of wanting to get any closer to her. Hermione turned on her friends, now looking ferocious.

'I suggest all of you go home, now.'

'Hermione, why are you letting this happen again!?'

'I am not letting _anything_ happen, Harry! This is my life and I will make my own decisions without you or Ron breathing down my neck! I know what I'm doing!'

She felt Lucius touch her hand and she turned around.

'We will leave,' he said to her, glancing at his son who was also in a very bad mood, 'Before anything gets worse.'

'Lucius, you don't have to –'

'Hermione, please. It is for the best.'

Looking dejected, she simply nodded at him as he squeezed her hand.

'I will see you on Monday. I promise.'

Smiling at him, she watched as both Lucius and Draco turned on the spot and Harry barely had time to turn around before they had disappeared.

'He will do _no such thing,_ ' he spluttered, glaring at Hermione in a rage, 'I thought you were smarter than this, Hermione? After all the shit you went through with him –'

'Harry, I'm not getting together with him, alright?'

He looked at her with a funny expression, not even noticing Ron struggling to get out of his brother's grip.

'You're not?'

'I'm not,' she reassured him, trying to look as serious as she could, 'It was just a heat of the moment thing. We had had a few drinks, it just happened. I swear to you, I will just be working with him as a friend from now on.'

This seemed to appease him a little, but Hermione was still scowling.

'That, however, does not mean I condone or appreciate the fact that you just broke his nose. Regardless of how you feel about my relationship with the man, it is absolutely none of your business and you will not get yourself involved like that ever again. Do you understand?'

Harry scowled right back at her, looking as if he was going to retaliate … but after a few moments, he nodded and turned behind him to help Ron and George.

Hermione sighed.

So much for a good night out.


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: for all the people who have reviewed, favourited, followed or read this story, I will never be able to thank you enough. You are all wonderful.**

* * *

31.

 _26_ _th_ _April 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Ground Floor. Sitting Room._

'Father, this is getting _beyond_ a joke!' Draco shouted, barely able to control his anger as he paced next to the fire, hands behind his back and ironically looking like the spitting image of the man he was currently reprimanding.

Lucius sat in an armchair, his face also burning with anger, but he was not going to get into a fight with his son over this.

'Draco, you need to learn when to mind your own –'

'I've had enough! Do you know how frustrating these last four months have been for me, father? First of all I have to deal with the fact my parents are divorcing, not even mentioning that you are both at each other's throats endlessly. I, as usual, have to act as messenger boy between the two of you because you cannot have _one_ civilised conversation. Then on top of that, there is the poisonous relationship between you and Granger! I wouldn't have minded so much, but you both seem determined on making the other's life miserable! If you're not fighting or arguing, then you aren't speaking at all and it's driving me mad! Once again, I am the buffer – and I refuse to do that anymore for you.'

He hadn't really taken into account his son's feelings in the matter. Of course, this was his own business and Lucius was a big enough man to take care of it himself, but Draco was right – he did always seem to get put in the middle of it all. He watched as his son built himself up to another rant.

'You seriously need to have a think about your priorities, father. If we want to make this business work with Granger, you will either date her and keep her happy, or you will do nothing at all. We cannot have any more situations like tonight if you expect to stay in Potter's good books.'

'I don't care about Potter,' Lucius replied, regarding at his son calmly, 'The only people I care about in this world are yourself and Hermione.'

'You're making a bloody good show of it,' Draco snorted, 'You can't keep messing around with her feelings. That woman will only take so much and what do you think is going to happen to us if she decides we cannot work together anymore? Do you think we will still have a place in society?'

He didn't need to answer that question. Draco sighed, looking into the fire.

'I have my own issues to deal with, father and I've been neglecting them so far this year because I have been too busy trying to sort out yours – and my mother's _and_ Granger's. I can't take much more of it.'

Lucius stood up, a solemn look on his face as he went to put a hand on his son's shoulder. Draco shrugged him off, beginning to pace again.

'I don't need your pity, alright? I just need your word that you will do everything in your power to keep things civil with Granger and her band of morons. We can't risk things going back to the way they used to be, not now.'

'I am truly sorry, Draco, to have caused you so much discomfort,' Lucius muttered, running a hand through his hair, 'It was never my intention for you to become so involved. With any of it, particularly with your mother. I have been selfish for many years now and I thought that the end of the War had brought around an end to that too … obviously it hasn't.'

'You're not selfish, father,' Draco admitted, sighing slightly, 'I just need you to be more present. No more moping in the library or stuck in your study all day. Things need to be done, and I can't do everything by myself.'

Lucius nodded, his jaw set.

'I promise you, son, I will make every effort from now on. No more excuses.'

'As long as you do.'

Draco gave him a small smile and walked towards the door - he turned back, suddenly remembering something, before leaving the room.

'Mother has decided to take the settlement, by the way. She wrote to me. Perhaps that might cheer you up.'

'Thank you, Draco,' he replied, smiling grimly at his son, 'For everything.'

Lucius let out a breath as the other man finally departed and he looked at his watch, realising it was well after midnight now. It had been a long day.

He took a seat next to the fire again, deep in thought.

Everything that had happened tonight put things in perspective for him, once more.

He realised that he needed to endeavour to become as good a man as his son was. After everything his family had put him through as a child and a teenager, he was fighting back against it all and taking it in his stride. He could not have been more proud of his boy.

It was not Draco's job to look after his parents and their problems, as well as having to deal with his own life. He deserved to have some peace and quiet for a while, where the only person he would need to look after was his girlfriend … not that she needed much looking after.

It was now high time to get things moving with the divorce. He would write to Narcissa in the morning to thank her. Lucius needed a completely fresh start.

In particular, he needed to rectify things with Hermione. Wonderful Hermione …

She had forgiven him again. He could see it in her eyes as he had spoken to her tonight. Once more, she had proven how good she could be and how much better a person she was than himself. They had both suffered enough from their arguments before, so now he had to make a choice.

Did he really want to be with her? Could he handle it?

He was not completely sure. The ecstasy of having her for himself would be indescribable, that much he realised … but would she want to stay with him when she realised what she was getting herself in for?

This house and his entire family were steeped in Pureblood history and ideology. The portraits on the walls would sneer at her, think her an outsider. Yes, all of the artefacts had been removed from the Manor but the place was smeared in dark magic. She would be forever associated with him and his family's old ideals, regardless of how much that had changed in the last few years. Could he really do that to her? He was doubtful as to whether she had any real idea of what she would let herself in for should she embark on a relationship with him.

He could dream of a life with her, but right now it felt like it wasn't an option. They would never survive it ... would they?

Suddenly, there was a small tap on the window.

Lucius looked round from his chair, squinting into the darkness to see a small, Tawny owl pecking at his window frame.

He rose immediately, striding over to open the window for the bird that immediately raised its leg to hold out a letter. Lucius took it without a thought and the owl disappeared off into the distance.

He looked at the handwriting. Of course it was hers.

Opening the letter hurriedly, he scanned the page.

 _Lucius,_

 _I feel I must apologise again for the behaviour of my friends tonight. I can assure you they have been dealt with in the most severe way possible._

He chuckled at that part. She was a force to be reckoned with.

 _I also feel I must apologise for how far things went between us. After all you said to me a few weeks ago it was wrong of us to let ourselves get carried away. I hope you will agree that it cannot and will not happen again._

Lucius wasn't sure why he felt so disappointed as he read those words.

 _Most of all, I would like to confirm that you are still going to join myself and Draco at the office next week? I would be really ashamed of myself if tonight has affected our professional relationship. As difficult as these last few months have been, we make a good team. I would really appreciate your help with the next event._

 _Please send me a response whenever you can._

 _Yours,_

 _Hermione_

 _Yours …_ he thought, his heart sinking.

If only.


	32. Chapter 32

32.

 _28_ _th_ _April 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Livingroom._

Harry was annoyed that he hadn't been able to speak to Ginny first. The younger redhead had arrived at the Burrow for Sunday lunch not long ago and Hermione had dragged her off at the first opportunity. So, of course, he was now going to look like the bad guy for what he did on Friday night. Brilliant.

Of course, he could understand Hermione's reasoning. He hadn't been in the best state of mind on Friday night, particularly with a few drinks in him and as a result it made him act rashly. Now, because of that, his best friend wasn't talking to him very much, which had made him even surlier. He really wished Hermione would see that he was only doing what he thought was best for her - and Malfoy wasn't it. Then again, she had never taken his interference lightly and in all honesty he should have learned by now to just stay out of it.

Shaking his head, Harry tried to distract himself with Quidditch talk between Ron and George, but it was no use. He just had to know what was going on.

As he rounded the corner that led to the kitchen, however, he saw Hermione storming out, looking extremely put out about something. She marched past him without a second glance, and he turned to look at his fiancé with wide eyes.

'She told you then?' he asked.

'Oh, yes,' Ginny replied, sniffing a little with indignation, 'She wasn't too happy with my response though.'

'And what exactly did you say to her?' Harry questioned, already getting the feeling that this was going to end up in another argument.

'That you should have hit him harder.'

Harry tried not to look too amused - honestly - but began to choke with laughter, his eyes streaming just as Ron poked his head around the corner.

'What are you two talking about?'

'Why Harry was right to punch Malfoy the other night,' Ginny replied as her fiancé continued to chuckle, 'I wish I'd been there. I wouldn't have even bothered with fists. We have magic for a reason.'

'Well, Hermione isn't very happy with us for that, so keep your mouth shut,' Ron told her, looking serious.

'Bit late for that mate,' Harry said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve and mimicking Ron's look, 'Ginny's already given her it tight.'

'Aw, come on, Ginny,' Ron groaned, slapping her on the arm, 'You're just making it worse. Hermione is barely speaking to me and I didn't even do anything!'

'Not through lack of trying.'

'Well, he _was_ being an arsehole. I don't know what he means by turning her down and then trying to get her hopes up again. She doesn't seem to be too bothered by it though.'

'He's playing her for a fool, which I just told her,' Ginny interrupted with a frown, 'But she wasn't having any of it. She still trusts him, you know.'

'Of course she does. It's Hermione, remember?' Harry commented, 'I just wish things would go back to normal. This whole thing with Malfoy is putting a strain on our friendship too, on top of everything else.'

'Perhaps we should just stay out of it,' Ron suggested, looking at the other two hopefully, 'She'll deal with it by herself and we'll be there to help her when he inevitably does something stupid.'

'Ron, that is so rich coming from you,' Ginny sniggered as her brother's ears turned red, 'But I guess you're right. Whenever we have given our opinion, she hasn't responded well. Whenever we've tried to involve ourselves before it's just made things worse - Harry being the prime example of that.'

'He deserved it,' Harry muttered and they all walked back into the living room where a few members of the family were still left, 'I agree, though. I don't regret hitting Malfoy but I do regret upsetting Hermione. I'm supposed to be on her side.'

Hermione was talking to Parvati and Angelina and even though she was acting as animated as possible, her friends knew her well enough to see that she was still upset. Ginny sighed.

'I feel sorry for her sometimes. She doesn't deserve this. Can't a nice guy just come along for her, someone who will actually treat her properly?'

'And preferably someone who isn't a Death Eater,' Ron murmured.

They all shut up as the topic of conversation walked towards them, a determined look on her face. She stood before them with her arms folded.

'Enjoyed your little discussion about my life, have you?'

'Hermione, we all just wanted to say we're sorry,' Ron interrupted, speaking before the other two idiots had a chance to retaliate, 'It wasn't our place to get mixed up in what happened on Friday and we promise to mind our own business from now on. We just want you to be happy, okay?'

It took a moment for her to realise what he was saying, but when she did Hermione threw an arm around Ron's shoulders and kissed his cheek.

'Thank you, Ron, for being the sensible one in the group.'

'For once,' Ginny muttered, swatting her brother away as he tried to hit her arm again, 'But we are sorry, Hermione, for being physically unable to keep our big mouths shut. We're still here if you need us, but no more interfering. Promise.'

'Thanks you guys. It really means a lot … and you have nothing to concern yourselves with anyway. Lucius and I have made the mutual decision to stay friends. Well, friends who happen to work together. I feel confident that I can do that now.'

'Great! Glad to hear it. Does that mean I can set you up with other people now?'

'Oh, bugger off, Ginny. _When_ I feel ready, I will find my own dates, thank you very much. As it happens I'm not interested in settling down with just anyone right now anyway. I'm only 22 for goodness sake.'

'Good for you, Hermione,' Harry grinned, ruffling his friend's hair, 'Glad things are getting back to normal.'

'Well, as normal as they can be for us anyway.'

'True.'

'How is the hunt going anyway?' Hermione asked, looking curious, 'For the last few Death Eaters on the loose.'

'Not had many leads,' Harry admitted, ruffling his hair, 'But we're feeling confident. Dolohov's capture was what we were mainly after, anyway. Sounds awful but we were rather lucky that they chose to attack the Malfoys, otherwise we might have never got a hold of them.'

'He never did tell us why,' said Ron as he folded his arms, 'Didn't say a word when he was put in Azkaban or during the trial. Not that it would have made any difference considering how many eye witnesses we had from the Final Battle.'

'He was in Voldemort's inner circle,' Hermione stated, 'The whole lot of them were obsessed with him and would do anything for the regime. People like Draco and Lucius, who got out of Azkaban for abstention in the battle, would have been considered as traitors by them. Maybe they weren't able to keep hiding for whatever reason and just decided to take some others down with them?'

'If that was the case though, why wouldn't they have gone for Harry?' Ginny asked, looking confused.

'Regardless of the fact the War was nearly four years ago, Harry is still one of the most protected Wizards in Britain. They wouldn't have been able to get near him.'

'And they would have had better knowledge of Malfoy's wards, having lived there for over a year,' Ron added with a frown.

'Doesn't matter, I suppose, in the end,' Hermione commented, shrugging her shoulders, 'They were caught and Lucius actually managed to improve his wards with the help of some Ministry officials.'

'Now there's just the odd Snatcher and lower rank Death Eater we have to get,' said Harry, 'Nothing to worry about in comparison.'

'That doesn't mean you should get complacent,' Ginny reprimanded, expressing a look remarkably like her mother's, 'Just because they weren't as high up doesn't mean they can't do damage. They will still be desperate. I don't think any of them would choose Azkaban over being on the run.'

'That place still creeps me out,' Ron muttered with a shudder, 'Even if the Dementors have gone, there's still an eerie feel about the place. I don't blame the Ministry for paying the guards as much as they do, they deserve it.'

'Exactly. Don't underestimate how far these people would go to stay out of there.'

Hermione was only half listening to the conversation now. She had never thought to ask Lucius what it had been like during his stint in the prison, not that he probably would have told her. She wondered if he might have had they got together … but it was better to steer clear of that thought.

She felt a lot better now she had spoken to him, even if it was by letter. Knowing he hadn't blamed her for what happened – in fact, he had taken full responsibility – and that they would be working together again was a relief. Things would go back to normal.

Would that necessarily be better though? Hermione, in spite of what she had told her friends, still wasn't sure if it was possible for her to be friends with Lucius platonically. There was an attraction between them that had been there from the start and even though they had decided not to act on it anymore, that didn't mean it would instantly go away.

Well, she only needed to wait until tomorrow, anyway – then she would truly discover whether they were both up for the challenge.


	33. Chapter 33

33.

 _29_ _th_ _April 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

'Please keep the flirting with Granger down to a minimum, father, I'd rather keep my breakfast in my stomach if it's all the same to you.'

Lucius glared at his son as they strode down the corridor on the fourth floor together, but couldn't bring himself to retort – he was still nervous about the meeting today, regardless of the conclusion that he and Hermione had come to over the weekend. Plus, he wasn't completely convinced he would able to promise Draco anything. She had ways of bringing out his argumentative side and that was just as intimate as flirting in his book.

They were almost at the office door when he saw her, and Merlin she looked wonderful. _As usual,_ he thought, with a roll of his eyes. He desperately tried to keep his eyes on her face as they approached but it seemed to be twice as difficult to do so now that she was completely forbidden to him. It didn't help that the frustrating woman looked good in almost anything – today she was sporting a pale pink blouse and navy pencil skirt underneath her robes. Only she would make Muggle office clothes look sensual.

'Good morning Draco, Lucius,' she greeted with a smile, holding her hand out to each of them in turn. The latter held her hand for merely a second before dropping it again. It wouldn't do to have any physical contact with her.

'If you'll follow me into the office, we can get started,' Hermione added, looking cheerful. Almost _too_ cheerful. Lucius wasn't sure why, but he felt almost suspicious about it.

They all took their respective seats once she had closed the door behind them. Her room had not changed whatsoever, apart from a few new additions to her bookshelf. He smirked.

'We can just cover the basic details of the event today, but I would like to get it sorted for as soon as possible,' she began, taking of her robes and hanging them over the back of her chair.

Brilliant, now there was absolutely no protection from the view. Lucius grit his teeth and stared at her face while she spoke.

'There's a fair few things we'll need to decide before we can really get the ball rolling. We will need to contact players that we want to play on the actual day. So fourteen people in total and a few others for substitutes, maybe? We'll need to hire a referee too unless Madam Hooch would do it. Most importantly, however, we need to get somewhere to hold it. I was wondering if you knew some board members from any of the teams? That might make our job a bit easier.'

'Actually, we know the owner of the Tutshill Tornadoes,' Draco told her, his arms folded over his lap, 'I don't think she would have a problem letting out the stadium for one day, particularly if it was you that was asking.'

'Wonderful,' Hermione beamed, clapping her hands together, 'Starting as we mean to go on.'

Lucius could barely contain his own smile – she was infectious. How could he possibly be in a bad mood when she was so jovial?

'Now, I actually wrote to Viktor yesterday and he replied to say he is more than happy to come on board for some help behind the scenes. He also seems keen to endorse the ideas and campaign behind the event which is a _huge_ benefit for us too. I couldn't thank him enough!'

He had spoken too soon. Trying to prevent her from seeing the scowl that he could feel forming on his face, Lucius turned to her.

'I was under the impression we were keeping the teams British-only? That it would be too much trouble to acquire some International favourites.'

'Oh, yes, but he's different,' Hermione replied, waving her hand, 'He's a very good friend of mine and Harry's, not to mention one of the most famous Seekers in the world. It's very handy to have him on board even if he isn't actually taking part in the match.'

Lucius merely grunted in reply. He didn't like it, but what could he possibly do about it?

'Surely he'll be in training for the World Cup though, Granger? Won't that be a problem?' Draco asked, looking genuinely curious.

Hermione blushed a little. Lucius glowered.

'He said he would be more than happy to reorganise his schedule to fit this in. He was extremely obliging.'

 _I'll bet he was,_ Lucius thought as he bit his tongue to refrain from making a comment. It was well-known in the Wizarding community that Viktor Krum sang Hermione's praises at every opportunity, public and private. If he wasn't in love with her, Lucius would eat his scarf. He was trying very hard not to look like a moody teenager, but it was extremely difficult. His blood was boiling. Viktor bloody Krum wasn't good enough for her.

'Well, we already have the funding for it thanks to the money that was made during the last event. You won't be spending as much this time, you'll be glad to hear. We will, of course, be asking all players to donate their time – it is a charity match, we can't be seen forking out for player's wages. We'll need to narrow it down to the players we need, however – I think I might leave that to you if you don't mind?'

'Of course not,' Draco said, nodding to her.

'I'm not exactly proficient with all things Quidditch. I only know a few members of the Holyhead Harpies because Ginny plays with them – other than that I couldn't tell one beater from the other.'

'Something we have in common, I think,' Lucius commented with a small smirk. He noticed with no small amount of pleasure that Hermione blushed again.

This was torturous. It was exactly the reason why he had been nervous about this meeting in the first place - not because of any awkwardness that could have been between them - but mainly because he wasn't sure if he would be able to control himself around her. He had always had an issue with 'forbidden fruit'. Sometimes he reasoned that that was why he had been so active during You-Know-Who's reign; he had known, on some level, that it was taboo. That was until he had come to his senses, of course, and kept his head down from then on.

Hermione Granger was an angel sent to tempt him – but he was trying not to let temptation win. They had come to an agreement with one another and the most important thing to him just now was to keep her trust. If it was a choice between having her in his life and not being able to be with her, or losing her completely, there was no option. He could have her as a friend, at least.

'I still don't know about this, Granger,' Draco said, interrupting the silence, 'This is a big event – ten times bigger than the fundraiser was. Are you sure this is the best way to raise more awareness? I mean, what help is it going to give the campaign anyway?'

Lucius saw the woman's cheeks turn red a little as she prepared herself to retaliate, but he beat her to it.

'Come now, Draco, some positivity would not go amiss. I think it's a wonderful idea – it will bring the Wizarding community together in a way that no other event does. We can do this, I am sure of it. A little hard work is nothing.'

He glanced at Hermione, who was smiling at him gratefully. He smiled back. Draco rolled his eyes slightly, barely able to contain his snort.

''TIME TO GO! TIME TO GO!'

The combination of the sudden loud humming sound that filled the room and the shout that accompanied it made Hermione almost jump from her seat in shock. Calmly, Draco pulled what looked like an antique watch from his pocket and glanced at it before placing it back where it came from. Hermione was holding her hand to her rest, whilst Lucius tried not to laugh.

'Have you never encountered a watch like that, Miss Granger?' the man asked her, a wicked grin on his face, 'They're quite common in Wizarding households, you know.'

She glowered at him.

'As a matter of fact, I have. That doesn't mean that I'm used to the infernal and unnecessary racket they make, though. Ridiculous.'

Draco chuckled and stood up from his seat. Lucius looked on in confusion. Where was he going?

'Sorry, father, forgot to say, I need to meet Astoria early this morning. Important business, you'll understand.'

Lucius simply nodded, whilst he was cursing his son internally. He would not put it past Draco to do this on purpose just to punish him. He had not planned on being alone with Hermione today.

She, too, looked a little put out. Nonetheless, she smiled and stood to show Draco to the door – he held up a hand.

'No need, Granger. I'll see you both at some point this week. I'll also contact Cosimia Babbington too and see if we can use the stadium. I'll owl you if I get any potential dates.'

With a wave of his hand Draco swept from the room and out the door, closing it behind him. Hermione cleared her throat slightly, unconsciously patting down her hair.

'Well, I suppose we should get on.'

'We should,' Lucius agreed, bowing his head towards her.

Neither of them really knew what to say. Both were too busy thinking of as many swear words as possible to be used to describe the sneaky, deviant Draco Malfoy. Hermione knew she really should have seen this coming, knew she would have to be alone with him at some point … she had just hoped it wouldn't be so soon after having almost kissed the man on Friday night. She coloured just thinking about it, which really didn't help.

'Would you like something to drink, Lucius?' she asked all of a sudden, standing up and walking to the opposite side of the room, where he noticed for the first time that she had some sort of contraption sitting on top of a small table, 'It's a coffee machine ... erm, really nice.'

'Yes, that would be lovely,' he replied, deciding to remove his cloak and drape it over the back of his chair, 'May I lend a hand?'

Hermione laughed lightly when she saw the perplexed look on his face as he watched her use the machine. She waved him over.

'Come, I'll show you how to use it.'

He walked over hesitantly, not really knowing where to stand.

'I thought no Ministry employees were allowed to have Muggle devices in their offices? Something about disturbing the magic …'

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

'Do you _see_ any plugs?'

'What on earth is a _plug_?' he asked, whilst he stretched out a finger to poke at the coffee machine. She was having difficulty trying not to laugh at him again – it was like watching Arthur when he saw a DVD player for the first time.

'This isn't a Muggle device, per say. It's actually Italian. Italy are big on their coffee, even Wizards, and someone invented this machine to do the same job as a Muggle coffee machine. Excellent for us because it means we don't have to go out of the office if we want something to drink.'

'Fascinating,' Lucius said, as he watched it come to life. Hermione couldn't help it and found herself smiling fondly at him.

'I thought you weren't interested in anything Muggle?' she asked him, feeling daring. He simply snorted.

'I thought you said this wasn't Muggle?'

'No, but it is based on a Muggle idea.'

'I stand corrected then,' he replied, smirking slightly as he looked at her, 'I'm not interested in _most_ things Muggle.'

She tried to force herself not to smile, but it was impossible. Lucius felt himself relaxing as she began to chuckle. She was even lovelier when she was laughing.

'I'd be more than willing to educate you, if you like. Might be able to change your mind about all this Wizard superiority nonsense,' Hermione said to him as she fixed them both some coffee, some stray hairs falling into her eyes as she did so.

'If it were anyone else, Hermione, you know I would decline. Nonetheless I find myself, most unwillingly, unable to ever say no to you.'

She blushed brightly as she handed him his drink.

'Be careful, it's really hot.'

He deliberately grazed his fingers across hers as he took the cup from her and her breath caught in her throat; he honestly could not help himself anymore. It was like the control he usually had was weakening by the second as he stood in her presence – no one had ever had the ability to do that to him before. Another reason to be intrigued by her.

Hermione was wearing an expression of extreme uncertainty. She felt muddled, but she could not help but feel a little elated at the sensation in her stomach. She cleared her throat and questioned him innocently.

'I thought we had agreed never to get ourselves in this situation again?'

Lucius took a sip of his coffee, a gleam in his eyes as he watched her blow on her own.

'I was not aware we were in a situation …'

He placed his mug back down on the small table and stood a little closer to Hermione. Her breaths were coming in short gasps now and she was completely flushed. So much for resisting temptation.

'Do you want this to be a situation?'

At first her mouth was opening and closing rapidly, with no sound coming out – but eventually she came to her senses. She sat her mug down next to his and placed her hands upon her hips, looking annoyed.

' _You_ were the one who said you didn't want to be with me, weeks ago if you'll remember. Then we came to that decision together again after what happened on Friday. Why are you teasing me like this Lucius? I am really in no fit state of mind to play games.'

'I thought I didn't want to be with you – convinced myself it was for the best,' he breathed, moving one of his hands up to stroke her arm, 'I was stupid. I _am_ stupid. To think that I would ever be able to do without you, my dear.'

Hermione hesitated, biting her lip even as her hands wandered to rest on the man's chest.

'Are you sure you want _me_? Not just Hermione Granger, the war hero but Hermione Granger, the person. There is a huge difference between them that not everybody gets to see.'

Lucius now had one hand on her neck, caressing it with his thumb in a move that made her shiver; his other hand had taken one of hers, bringing it slowly to his lips as he began to kiss each of her fingers one by one. Her body was on fire.

'Do not ever doubt that I want you – in every possible way and more than I have wanted any other woman. Tell me, however … do you want me, Hermione Granger? Could you bring yourself to have me: an ex Death-Eater, a cold and callous man who made your life unbearable for so long?'

It almost sounded like he was trying to dissuade her. The fingers on her right hand were tracing patterns on his shirt and it took every ounce of his strength not to take her right there. She looked up at his face. As heated as he appeared to be, there was a small seed of doubt in his eyes – even now he continued to be uncertain of himself.

'You're not that man anymore, Lucius. I know you aren't …'

He gripped her even tighter, now looking determined.

' _Do you want me?'_

There was no hesitation in her voice this time.

'Yes.'

His mouth was on hers in an instant and he crushed her body to his as one hand was now gripping her hair. Their coffee lay forgotten at their sides as both man and woman fought for control, kissing each other in such a heated frenzy that they barely had time to breath.

Lucius was experienced, she could tell and she had never been kissed like this before in her entire life. She couldn't think … she felt his excitement stirring beneath him and this just spurred her on more.

As Hermione began to let go, Lucius found himself wanting to remain controlled but it was becoming increasingly difficult. Her lips were soft, unsullied by make-up which made them all the more delicious; her smell was invading his nostrils – and all of a sudden, she let out a small moan of pleasure and he could resist no longer.

Lucius pushed her up against the nearest wall, not before wrapping an arm around her waist to ensure she didn't hurt herself in the process. One of Hermione's arms were enveloped around his neck, trying to pull him as close to her as possible. He pushed his tongue into her mouth for no longer than a second – he didn't enjoy salivating all over his partner – but it was enough to cause the woman's knees to weaken.

He tried to pick her up, but her clothing was proving to be a problem. He removed his mouth from hers for a moment but stared at her heatedly, trying desperately not to rake his eyes down her form.

'This won't do at all,' he muttered and he slowly moved his hands down to latch on to her pencil skirt – she gasped, but he didn't waver and began to lift it sensually, higher and higher until it sat just below her bottom. As he stared down at her bare legs, feeling himself getting even more aroused, he let out a growl.

Hr grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her into the air. Hermione squealed slightly, gripping his neck with both of her arms as he drove her back into the wall and attacked her mouth once more. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and they both groaned at the improved contact.

He moved one hand to rest in her hair again and the other to cup her backside, holding her up from there. She felt fantastic against him, completely willing – he had never desired someone so much in his entire life.

She tried to shift herself into a more comfortable position against him, which caused Lucius to let out a low moan.

' _Hermione,_ ' he sighed, twisting her head to a different angle so he could get access to her neck, 'I don't know if I can stop ...'

She barely heard him speak, too busy squirming with pleasure at the way he was biting her neck.

'I need you,' he continued, his eyes darkening with each passing second, 'I must have you. All of you … I need to touch every inch of your skin, to feel you surround me. Don't deny me, Hermione.'

'Lucius,' she whispered in response, hardly able to form words, 'I couldn't even if I wanted to.'

He kissed her soundly again and she responded in kind –

 _Knock, knock, knock._


	34. Chapter 34

34.

 _29_ _th_ _April 2002. Ministry of Magic. Fourth Level. Being Division. Office for House Elf Welfare and Relocation._

Lucius wanted to curse the person standing behind that door. He would have quite happily seen them hung, drawn and quartered for ruining the most intense moment of his life – he was livid. Hermione was still in his arms, but there was alarm on her face as she stared at the same spot that he was.

He felt her unwrap her legs from around him and he fought to control his groan of frustration.

She began fixing her hair and her clothes, pulling her skirt down to its normal length. He did nothing but watch her, not bothering to move to give her more space; she looked magnificent. As if she could hear his thoughts, she glanced up at him – her face glowing – and gave him a reproachful look.

'Come on, we couldn't quite continue doing _that_ with someone just outside. You know it.'

Lucius growled and kissed her fiercely for a second, before stepping back and fixing his own clothes. He grabbed his cloak from behind the chair and clasped it around his neck.

'I hope you understand that there is a very high chance I am going to murder the person standing behind that door.'

She laughed a little, quickly giving herself a once over to make sure she was presentable. She then threw the man a suggestive smile.

'We could continue it another time, if you'd like?'

The huskiness in her voice almost changed his mind – at that moment, every person in the damn office could walk through the door and he wouldn't care, so long as he was making love to the indescribable woman before him.

'Miss Granger, you have no idea how much I will look forward to it,' he replied, his eyes burning as recalled the smoothness of her legs and how she had writhed in his arms not moments ago.

'We'll set a date,' she said, with a small wink, 'But for now, you really need to go. I will get no work done otherwise.'

He bowed his head willingly and they both strode to the door with impassive looks plastered onto their faces. He was surprised at how quickly she could compose herself – with that type of talent, she could easily pass herself off as a Malfoy.

Hermione opened the door. Her mouth dropped.

'Viktor?'

Lucius narrowed his eyes, not even bothering to hide his sneer.

Viktor Krum stood in front of them wearing a very polite expression and dressed casually in Muggle jeans and a leather jacket. Hermione had not seen him in a very long time and he had changed quite a bit since then. Even though he still appeared to be more awkward and uncomfortable on the ground than in the air, he had bulked up slightly in the last few years. He was still slim enough to be an effective Seeker, but the extra weight gave him a more imposing edge. If she wasn't mistaken, he also appeared to be a lot more confident in himself – in her fourth year, he could barely look her in the eye without getting embarrassed. Now he was gazing at her with a small smile.

'Hermione, vot a pleasure to see you again,' he said suddenly, bowing slightly. The woman smiled in return, her cheeks going slightly red.

'I can't believe you're here, Viktor, it's so lovely to see you!' she said, doing away with all formalities by giving him a hug. She hadn't looked at Lucius once since they had stepped outside for two reasons: one, so she could keep her cool and not let her imagination run away with her; also, because she was almost certain he would be absolutely livid to see her conversing with Viktor Krum. She wasn't stupid enough not to notice the way he had reacted earlier when she had mentioned his name.

Viktor bowed politely towards Lucius as well, who responded with a slightly disgusted look and an almost indiscernible nod.

'Sorry, Viktor, this is Lucius. Lucius, Viktor. What are you doing here?' Hermione asked, looking curious, 'I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it this week.'

'I could not, at first,' Viktor replied, his Bulgarian accent sounding as thick as it had the last time they had spoken, 'But now, I can. I haff some days off.'

'Oh, wonderful! We can get started on the Quidditch match preparations straight away. I'll have to bring you up to speed with the aims for the campaign, Viktor, if you are to understand why we are organising the event, of course.'

'That vood be good.'

'Lucius, here, is one of our benefactors. We've been working together along with his son, Draco, for the past few months on extending the campaign – it's coming along beautifully! We've raised so much money already and people are a lot more aware of it now and willing to help. Things couldn't be better.'

'I am glad to hear it,' Viktor commented, smiling a little as he was barely able to get a word in edge ways, 'Vood you like to join me for lunch - if you are not busy?'

Hermione hesitated slightly, glancing at Lucius. He appeared to be disinterested, glancing at his watch and she found herself getting slightly annoyed.

'Yes, I would love to have lunch,' she told Viktor, ignoring the way the man next to her bristled as she did so, 'I'll meet you down in the Atrium in five minutes? I just need to have a quick word with Lucius before he goes.'

'Of course, Hermione. I vill see you soon.'

And with that the man swerved and headed in the direction of the elevators, expertly ignoring the stares he was getting from practically every person he passed. Hermione flushed a little as she realised a few people were looking at her as well and she walked back into her office, dragging Lucius with her. She closed the door.

'It wouldn't kill you to be a little kinder to people, you know,' she scolded, her hands on her hips, 'I have no idea why you dislike him but he's actually really nice.'

'I do not dislike him,' Lucius sniffed, looking haughty, 'I barely know the man. I don't recall being rude to him.'

'Oh, please, remember who you're talking to, Lucius. I know you too well now. It's obvious you have a problem with him.'

'I merely take issue with the fact that the man seems to be obsessed with you,' he retorted, gazing at her seriously, 'You need to be on your guard.'

Hermione scoffed, her mouth hanging open.

'You are being _utterly_ ridiculous. Viktor and I have been friends for years, I have nothing to worry about with him. Where on earth has this come from?'

'I am concerned for your well-being, Hermione, nothing more.'

'Rubbish! You practically burned holes in the man's face because you were glaring at him so much!'

He was glaring at _her_ now, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

'He has designs on you, I know he has. Everyone in the Wizarding world knows of his infatuation with you. Always singing your praises and bragging about you –'

'You say that like it's a bad thing,' Hermione interrupted, looking slightly hurt.

Lucius's eyes softened and he let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. He gave her a small smile and took her hand, kissing it lightly.

'I didn't mean it like that. Your accomplishments are a very fine thing and I do not blame him for applauding them. I just don't trust the man, that's all. But, in complete honesty, I will never trust any man when he is around you. You are too good a person, my dear, and you see the best in everyone. Not everyone, however, is as virtuous as you.'

Hermione rolled her eyes, but gave him a kind smile in return.

'Trust _me_ , Lucius. That is all I ask from you. I already have every single one of my friends and my parents worrying about me constantly, I do not need you added to that list. I can take care of myself – very well, I might add. I could handle Viktor Krum if the situation required it.'

'I'll bet you could,' Lucius replied with a smirk, pulling her closer and wrapping an arm around her waist, 'I have absolutely no doubt of your abilities.'

'I'm glad we understand each other,' she laughed and she reached up to kiss him softly, sighing as he began to rub soothing circles into her back.

'Are you sure you don't want to skip lunch with that oaf? I can think of many other things we could be doing instead.'

Hermione laughed again, swatting his arm even as he smirked at her. She shook her head and pulled herself from his embrace.

'As tempting as that sounds, I don't particularly want to tire myself out on my lunch break,' she joked, grabbing her cloak and her handbag from behind her desk, 'Why don't we go out, one night this week? On a proper date.'

'A date?' Lucius repeated, looking suddenly apprehensive, 'Goodness, I haven't been on a date in years. Decades, in fact.'

'If it's a bit uncomfortable for you, we don't need to …'

'Oh, no, you misunderstand,' Lucius corrected, noticing the crestfallen expression on her face, 'I am just unsure of the etiquette these days. There is nothing that would please me more than to take you out. To dinner perhaps, or a show?'

'Either would be lovely,' Hermione said, beaming at him, 'Owl me with details. I'll let you surprise me this time – but please advise me on what to wear, I don't want to look ridiculous.'

'You could never look ridiculous, my dear,' he soothed, whilst smirking wickedly, 'But if you leave all the decisions to me, I fear I won't want you to wear very much at all.'

' _Lucius!_ ' she admonished, blushing brightly _again_. This was becoming a regular occurrence for her when he was around. He chuckled lightly and couldn't resist pulling her in for a parting embrace.

'We will take everything at your pace, Hermione. The last thing I want is to force you to do anything that you aren't ready for. This is a very unusual situation for both of us.'

'You're right about that, but I have to admit I feel happier now than I have felt in a very long time. So, thank you.'

Lucius couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face. Merlin, she was turning him into a sap.

'Your feelings reflect my own. I will leave you now, so you aren't late for your lunch.'

She smiled, even more so when she felt Lucius take hold of her cloak and wrap it around her neck, fastening it for her. He planted a small kiss on her cheek when he finished and turned her towards the door.

'Try not to enjoy yourself _too_ much. I don't want the boy getting any ideas about something that doesn't belong to him.'

'A grand total of half an hour into this relationship and you are already being possessive,' she replied with a snort.

'Relationship? I am glad to see you are taking this seriously, my dear.'

'I don't take these things lightly, Lucius. If we are going to do this, then we will do it right. I'm not anyone's fling.'

'The last thing you will ever be to me is a fling. As soon as my divorce is finalised, we can go public. I'm prepared for the inevitable repercussions,' Lucius commented, with a roll of his eyes.

She gave him a small smile as they departed the office.

'I really, really hope we are.'


	35. Chapter 35

35.

 _3_ _rd_ _May 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole. The Livingroom._

Hermione should have felt sad. Or reminiscent. Or _something._

It had been the fourth anniversary of Fred's death the day before and the end of the War. They tried to celebrate it as a family as much as possible, for Remus and Tonks and everyone else who died as well, but more often than not it turned into a small dinner before everyone went to their respective homes to mourn privately.

This year, however, Hermione had been pleasantly surprised. George, in spite of his sorrow, was determined not to let everyone else feel the same way and had organised a small party for everyone at the Burrow tonight, complete with a buffet and fireworks; everyone was having a marvellous time.

Professor McGonagall had shown up, with Hagrid in tow and Hermione could not have been more pleased to see her.

'The students are well looked after,' the woman had assured Hermione with a small pat on the cheek, 'They can do without me for one night. It's important to commemorate what happened. We had our own service yesterday, but I thought I'd better come and see how you all were.'

'It's wonderful to see you, Professor,' Hermione had said, as the two women had escaped the party for a while to take a wander around the gardens. McGonagall used the excuse of her old age and said she needed a regular walk to keep her active.

'I don't know how many times I've told you to call me Minerva, Hermione,' the older woman had said with a stern look. Hermione had just laughed.

'There will probably be plenty of more times after this, unfortunately,' she had admitted, 'I'm still unused to the fact that I am seeing you outside of Hogwarts. It feels strange sometimes that we aren't there anymore.'

'Yes, well, in many ways I wish you still were. The most recent batch of students are most rambunctious. Lovely in many ways that they don't have the same troubles as you all did – but on the other hand I've had double the amount of requests from Mr. Filch to reinstate whipping.'

Hermione snorted with laughter, thinking fondly of the old Caretaker even if she hadn't liked him very much when she was at school.

'I'd forgotten to ask how your event had gone,' Minerva interrupted, looking interested, 'I am sorry I couldn't make it at the time but it was quite a busy period.'

'No, no, I had only invited you on the off chance you could make it, no need to worry. It actually went really, really well. We raised a lot of awareness and a lot of money too so we're planning our next event for during the summer.'

'We?' Minerva said, an eyebrow raised, 'I assume you are referring to the Malfoy family.'

'Yes,' Hermione replied, not feeling the smallest bit of shame or embarrassment, 'We have been working together since January and it's been quite an experience. They've been tremendously helpful through the entire process – I couldn't ask for much more.'

Minerva gave her a small smile and patted her hand.

'Usually I would advise anyone dealing with the Malfoy family to be on their guard,' she admitted, not allowing Hermione to interrupt, 'Nonetheless, when it comes to you, my dear, I have no doubt that you know exactly what you're doing. I hope you succeed in whatever you are trying to achieve.'

Hermione just smiled back, extremely thankful that she wasn't going to get another lecture. Then again, no one at this party had any idea that she was now officially seeing Lucius Malfoy.

After taking Professor McGonagall back to the party, Hermione had sat for a while in the garden by herself, trying to gather her thoughts. She and Lucius had both decided that it wasn't in their best interests at the moment to make their relationship public – it will have some repercussions, as the man had said, and Hermione didn't feel like facing them just yet. To everyone else's knowledge, he was still married, after all.

She wasn't even going to tell Ginny. Mainly because Ginny would tell Harry and that is a conversation she would much rather put off for now. Also she felt like it would be lovely to just spend time with Lucius by herself, without the interference of anyone else. He had decided not to tell Draco either, so they would have to keep it completely secret for now. Hermione knew her friends would probably be hurt that she didn't tell them straight away, but hopefully they would understand her reasoning as to why. She was well aware that this would probably be one of the biggest scandals the Wizarding World had seen since the War.

Hermione placed her head in her hands, groaning slightly. This was probably going to be a lot harder than they had anticipated.

'Hey, Hermione.'

She knew she wouldn't have been left alone for long. Ginny sat down next to her on the grass, looking quite content in spite of the occasion.

'You don't look like you're having the best of nights,' the redhead commented, expressing concern. Hermione just shook her head and sighed.

'Nothing to worry about, Ginny. I'm just pondering over when life became so difficult for all of us. Speaking to Professor McGonagall just reinforced my wish that I was still back at school – even with all the danger, they were some of the best times of my life. And now … well, I'm enjoying my job and everything that comes with it, but the world seems infinitely more complicated than it used to be.'

Ginny gave her friend a knowing look, passing her a butterbeer from underneath her cloak. Hermione opened it and took a long swig, thankful for the heat it was providing her. It was a little colder out than she had expected.

'I do understand you know, Hermione,' Ginny began, staring out into the fields and hills that surrounded them, 'You may think Harry and I have everything together but it's not as easy as that. We still have problems. And things are a _lot_ more complicated than people would imagine.

'But whenever I feel like everything's getting overwhelming, it helps me to think about Fred. And Remus and Tonks and Sirius and everyone else that we lost in that War. All those people that died to give us this new life, you know? It makes me realise that I'm being stupid. I have a family that I love, a fiancé that loves me and a job – what more does anyone need? I'm happy.'

She turned to look at Hermione, a sad sort of smile on her face.

'I know it seems like everything doesn't make a lot of sense now, but it will. The most important thing, Hermione, is that you are _happy_. That's all we care about - me, Harry and Ron, even if it doesn't seem like that at times - and that's all you should care about too. Make yourself happy, no matter what it takes.'

Hermione smiled at her friend and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closely.

'I've got you lot, haven't I? How much more happiness could I need?'

Ginny rolled her eyes, clearly not under any delusions.

'There comes a time when you need more than that. The kind of happiness you get when you're in a loving relationship with someone who adores you. I'm warning you now, girl, if the opportunity comes and you don't take it I will pound you.'

Ginny grimaced briefly, but ended her speech with a determined look.

'No matter _who_ it is, alright?'

Hermione nodded, feeling better but also slightly bewildered. Ginny always seemed to know what she was thinking at any given moment. Was it possible that she - and possibly her other friends - had already figured out about her and Lucius?


	36. Chapter 36

36.

 _4_ _th_ _May 2002. 12 Grimmauld Place. London._

Never had she been this nervous about a date before. The butterflies in her stomach would not go away and she was pretty sure she was sweating too.

She was standing on the steps just outside Grimmauld Place – not inside the house, just in case Harry or Ron saw her. Hermione doubted that very much – they were still in the middle of a particularly tense Wizard's chess match which had been going on for ages so they barely noticed that she had left.

For that, at least, she was thankful. She had offered to simply meet Lucius somewhere which might have made it easier for both of them but he had refused, saying it was only good manners that he picked her up from her house. She had rolled her eyes at him in irritation, but he refused to budge. So, there she was. He was expected in less than a minute.

Then, regular as clockwork, Lucius appeared right in front of her on the bottom step. He chuckled lightly as he realised he had frightened her.

'Apologies,' he said, before raising his eyes to her face and seemingly forgetting how to speak.

Lucius had told her to dress formally and she had done so – but he had never expected her to look so radiant. The dress she had worn on the night of the fundraiser had been beautiful; tonight, she was divine.

Hermione had bought the dress specifically for this evening (she didn't own much formal wear besides what she had for work). The dress was a sleeveless, V-neck, chiffon creation, with a chapel train attached. The colour – a deep, navy blue – looked magnificent against her pale skin and her deep red lipstick and Lucius could not help but notice her right leg peeking out from the large slit down the side of the dress. She had a small shawl over her shoulders and a beautiful silver purse in hand. Her hair was pinned up, a few small strands outlining her face, which currently was looking very worried.

'Is it too much? Should I have worn something else?' she asked him in a panic, gripping her shawl, 'We still have time, I can go back in and change –'

She was cut off as the man immediately climbed the steps that stood between them and took both of her hands in his.

'I would ravish you if I could, my dear - but I don't want to ruin your lipstick,' he said with a small smirk, 'You are beautiful every day I see you; tonight you are the epitome of perfection. You do not need to change anything.'

She smiled stunningly at him, framing his face with her right hand.

'I notice you're wearing a Muggle suit again,' she commented, glancing over him quickly, 'You should wear this every day.'

'If you so wish it,' he replied with a small bow of his head and a laugh, 'But for now, let us enjoy tonight. Shall we?'

He stepped back and held out his arm for her, which she accepted gratefully. He turned on the spot and with a _crack_ they were gone.

* * *

 _4_ _th_ _May 2002. Somewhere._

They had appeared in the middle of a small glade. Tall, green elm trees surrounded Hermione at every turn but she successfully blocked out the images that they brought back – with Lucius beside her, she felt a lot more at ease. He began to steer her to the right and her mouth almost hit the floor.

A stage was set in the middle of the clearing. Small, bright lights had been hung over every beam that surrounded it and in the moonlight it looked magical. It was ten times more beautiful than anything she had seen in the West End; Hermione could hardly believe her eyes as they walked towards it. A table sat not far from the stage, beautifully decorated and with a bottle of champagne placed in the middle, lit by the candlelight. She turned to Lucius.

'What is this?' she asked, barely able to form words.

'You said you would be happy with dinner or a show,' he said, looking relieved that she was so pleased, 'So I brought you both.'

'You didn't need to do this, though –'

'Nonsense,' he interrupted, raising a hand, 'We can't particularly go out in to the Wizarding world at the moment and there are very few places I enjoy in the Muggle world, anyway. I hired the production so that we could watch it together, undisturbed. Do you like it?'

Hermione had to catch her breath for a second before she turned to him, her eyes very bright.

'Of course I do. It's stunning. Thank you,' she whispered and she couldn't help but lean in and place a chaste kiss on his mouth. He moved a hand to rest on the back of her neck, forcing her to stay there longer than she had intended but she didn't complain.

His eyes were heated as they pulled apart, and she laughed as she saw her lipstick had been transferred onto his mouth. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out a small handkerchief and began to dab at his lips.

'So much for not messing up my lipstick,' she joked, trying to ignore the way he held on to her possessively, his hands on her hips, 'Red isn't really your colour, though.'

'I would happily walk around with red lipstick on my face if it meant I could kiss you every day.'

Hermione couldn't help but blush again and the butterflies in her stomach intensified.

'Like Draco once said, always the charmer.'

'I know,' he admitted, with a small smirk, 'But in my defence, I am only genuinely charming to a few people.'

'I sincerely hope I am one of them.'

'You will find out in due course.'

She rolled her eyes at him but let out a small giggle anyway, placing her handkerchief back in her purse. She felt Lucius place a finger under her chin as he began to lean into her again – she stopped him by pressing a finger against his lips.

'I have literally just finished getting the make-up off of your face. Don't even think about it.'

His eyes narrowed slightly but he kissed her on the cheek anyway.

'As you wish,' he replied, taking her hand to show he wasn't annoyed, 'Let us sit down and we can have dinner.'

He led her to the table set for two and pulled out her chair. She smiled her thanks.

'How on earth do you manage these things, Lucius,' Hermione wondered aloud, gazing at her surroundings once again, 'What you did for the fundraiser was amazing but this is practically a work of art.'

'Thank you, Hermione, I will take that as a compliment,' the man responded as he removed the champagne from the ice bucket and began to open it, 'It is amazing what you can achieve with a pocket full of money.'

'Well, I _happen_ to appreciate the thought even more,' Hermione told him with a grin.

'It was nothing. I wanted our first official date to be something you would remember.'

'I doubt I will ever forget this. Where are we, out of interest?'

'That would be telling, I'm afraid,' Lucius smirked as he poured them both a glass of champagne and handed one to her, 'On the other hand, there _is_ something I must tell you. Something important - it would feel wrong if I didn't mention it.'

Hermione sat up in her seat, looking intrigued and he gave her a small smile.

'A letter from my divorce lawyer arrived this morning. Narcissa has signed everything - I can confirm that we are now officially separated.'

Her eyes widened a little, shock covering her face as she held onto her champagne glass. Lucius felt rather bewildered - he had expected a much better reaction than that. He sat down again, waiting for her to give a response.

'Are you ... alright?' she finally asked him, looking concerned. He had to refrain from laughing. That was the last thing he would have expected her to say to him on such an occasion.

'Of course I am, Hermione. I am free to live my life as I please now. Free to be with you.'

She smiled at him shyly, raising her glass just as he did. It was like a weight had been lifted from his chest - she was happy for him.

'To you, my dear.'

'To us,' Hermione corrected, taking a sip, 'For finally coming to our senses.'

'Yes, rather,' Lucius chuckled, crossing one leg over the other and beginning to observe her once more, 'I feel I must apologise again for putting you through that. If I hadn't been so –'

'No, please don't,' Hermione interrupted, with a sad smile, 'You have nothing to apologise for. If I hadn't left you at the fundraiser it would never have happened in the first place.'

'You don't know that. You should not blame yourself – regardless, you had just had a panic attack. It was only natural that you felt overwhelmed.'

'A panic attack that _you_ helped me to get through, as I've told you already! '

'I believe that I had been part of the cause as well, so I did nothing more than my duty,' he told her, smirking slightly.

'Why are we even talking about this?' Hermione asked him as she laughed, 'That is all in the past now, along with everything else.'

Lucius smiled at her kindly and reached across the table to grasp her hand.

'You have no idea how fortunate I feel to know you, Hermione Granger. You have given me another chance at life. An old, miserable man who once thought he would not get that chance. I can never repay you for that.'

Hermione shook her head, trying to keep her composure after hearing him admit something so personal to her. Lucius never spoke to anyone else like this – not even his son, really – that she was aware of and that just made his words all the more special. How could she have misjudged this man so much before now? She held his hand with both of her own.

'Lucius, I don't really know what to say … I am just - happy. More importantly, I am glad _you_ are happy – and Draco too. I want you both to be happy so very much.'

He kissed her hand gently and rubbed it with his thumb.

'You are too good, as always, my dear. Believe me, I will be happy so long as you are here.'


	37. Chapter 37

37.

 _10_ _th_ _May 2002. 12 Grimmauld Place. London. Sitting Room._

'Hermione, what the hell is up with you recently? You never stop _bloody_ smiling.'

The girl simply laughed at Ron, who was looking at her like she was mad. How could she possibly be mad when she had such wonderful friends?

'Oh, _you_ ,' she said, ruffling her friend's hair. That didn't necessarily help his mood. He looked to his other best friend for some support.

'Harry, please talk some sense into her, she's being weird.'

Hermione began laughing again and even Harry raised an eyebrow at her. He put down the Evening Prophet he had been reading and looked at her seriously.

'Come on, Hermione – spill it. What's really going on?'

' _Nothing,_ ' she admonished, looking incredulously at them both, 'Can't I just be happy without having a reason for it?'

'No. Since when have you ever been happy for no reason,' he replied with a sceptical expression, 'Is this because Viktor is here?'

The woman choked on the sip of tea she had just taken, clutching her chest as her eyes streamed.

'You _are_ kidding, right? Of course it's not about that! You well know that we are just friends, Harry, nothing more!'

'Alright, alright, I was just asking,' Harry said, raising his hands in defence, 'But I _will_ find out what's going on with you. Even if it isn't about Krum.'

Ron sniffed indignantly in the background, taking a drink of his tea. He still didn't like the Bulgarian very much, even after all these years. There were some things you just couldn't change. Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Well, it isn't. It isn't about anything. My life is just very good at the moment, okay? Am I allowed to be happy because of that?'

'Of course you are,' Ron interrupted, patting her hand, 'Sorry. I just don't think I've seen you this cheerful since school. You're always too busy working on something to be happy most of the time.'

Hermione shrugged her shoulders a little, swinging her legs up onto the couch and tucking them under herself.

'I guess so. Work was the most important thing for a while – and it still is very important – but I've realised that that's not what life is all about. Family, friends and happiness, that is the key.'

Harry nodded and let out a small chuckle, giving Ron a knowing glance before returning to the paper.

'How's the prep going for the Quidditch match anyway, Hermione?' the latter asked, 'Come to any more decisions about the players?'

'Not really, I just wanted Harry and Ginny to play and I think Draco is going to organise the rest. I don't really know anyone after all.'

'Oh, I could have helped with that,' Ron replied, looking serious all of a sudden, 'If you're looking for someone who'll put on a good show, you'd be best looking somewhere like the Wigtown Wanderers, most of their players are pretty fierce –'

'Honestly, Ron, there is virtually no point in telling me any of this,' Hermione interrupted with a raised hand and a chuckle, 'Speak to Draco about it if you want to, but I won't remember anything. You know Quidditch isn't my strong point.'

'True,' Ron admitted with a grin, 'I might do that though. Would be nice to be involved in some way.'

Whilst Harry and Ginny had both accepted Hermione's offer in playing the match, Ron had turned it down flat. Remembering his couple of years as Gryffindor Keeper, no doubt, he didn't feel he would be up to playing in front of hundreds of people – possibly thousands. It had been bad enough on his nerves in school, he had said.

'Feel free. I can send him an owl for you to let him know I'm bringing you on to consult with the players. You'll know what you're talking about at least.'

'Is Malfoy not into Quidditch?' Ron asked with a slightly scandalised look.

'No, I think he is, but he just doesn't seem to be as interested at the moment. You'll be more knowledgeable about it than he is. It would be a great help.'

'Sure, I'll do it,' he replied with a smile, leaning back in his chair and sighing as he looked at the time on his watch, 'Merlin, 8 o'clock on a Friday night and we're sitting in here doing nothing.'

'Where's Parvati?' Harry asked from behind his paper.

'She's off in France, doing some research … or an assignment. Or something like that anyway.'

'Lovely how much you pay attention to your girlfriend's life,' Hermione jested, dodging the cushion that he threw at her.

'I want to go out. Harry, fancy going out?'

'Suppose so,' the man replied, folding his paper up and throwing it on a nearby table, 'Better than being cooped up in here. Hermione?'

'No thanks,' she said, faking a yawn, 'I'm quite tired actually after this week, been really busy. Think I'm going to read a nice book and head to bed early.'

Ron rolled his eyes.

'Spoilsport.'

Hermione stuck her tongue out at him before moving from her seat to pick out a book. The boys were gone in a matter of minutes, merely picking up their jackets and leaving the house. She waited in silence until she heard the door slam and then sprang into action.

Throwing her book away, she walked over to the nearby fireplace and grabbed a small handful of floo powder. Hermione kneeled down and stuck her head in the grate and chucked the powder in after her.

'Malfoy Manor, Second Study!'

She held her breath as she experienced the horrible feeling of her head moving rapidly through hundreds of fireplaces without her body and coughed slightly as she appeared in Lucius's office. She hated this way of travelling just as much as she did flying, but it was the most efficient.

'Lucius? Lucius, are you here?'

There was nothing for a moment, but then the door suddenly flew open and the man himself entered the room, looking startled when he saw her face in his fire.

'Hermione, is everything alright?'

'Yes, yes, of course. I just wondered if you wanted to come over to mine for a drink. Harry and Ron have gone out for the night and it's Kreacher's night off too – we'll have the place to ourselves.'

Lucius smirked at her, raising an eyebrow. She glared at him, wishing she could raise her finger in order to scold him.

'Shut up, it is not what you're thinking. Just come over, alright? I don't particularly want to spend the night in here by myself. It is extremely creepy.'

'Your wish is my command,' Lucius replied, bowing his head, 'I'll bring some wine.'

'Lovely, see you in a minute.'

With great difficulty, Hermione pulled her head out of the fire and felt her head spinning all the way back to Grimmauld Place. After taking a deep breath and steadying herself, she stood up to quickly tidy the sitting room. Kreacher kept the place up to standard usually, but as soon as he had a night off Harry and Ron left the place like a dump.

Just as she was brushing the remnants of ash from her hair and trousers, the fireplace roared to life again and Lucius stepped out, with a bottle of wine in his hands.

'As requested,' he smirked. She tutted and walked over to grab the bottle from him – but not before he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his chest.

'Don't I deserve a friendlier greeting than that?'

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the man, but he wasn't having any of it. Grabbing her face with his hands, he pulled her in for a lingering, breath-taking kiss and she felt herself becoming calmer with each passing second. So calm, in fact, that she almost dropped the wine bottle. She pulled herself away from him, biting her bottom lip and pretended not to notice the way he was ogling her.

'Come on,' she said, taking his hand and pulling him along with her, 'Take a seat. I need to go down to the kitchen and grab a couple of glasses for this.'

'Don't be ridiculous, my dear,' Lucius said, taking the bottle back from her and guiding her to the armchair by the fire, 'I'll get the glasses. You can relax.'

He gave her one final smirk before striding from the room, looking more and more like his usual, regal self. Hermione had absolutely no shame in eyeing him up as he walked away – like Ginny had told her only weeks ago, Lucius was an extremely good-looking man for his age. She sighed in contentment, leaning her head back to rest it on the chair …

The front door knocker sounded.

 _Shit._

'Who could this be?' Hermione asked herself, feeling a little worried. She took out her wand as she wandered out into the hall and down the corridor towards the entrance to the house. It couldn't possibly be any of the Weasleys as they wouldn't have bothered knocking. She was also pretty sure no one else knew the location of the house bar some members of the order.

Gripping her wand, she grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open.

It was Viktor.

She let out a small sigh of relief, stowing her wand in her back pocket.

'Viktor, hi,' she greeted, beyond thankful that it was him. Of course, Harry had told him the address on his second day in Britain – she had completely forgotten. In spite of him not being the best choice of visitor what with Lucius being here, it was an improvement on a family member. Both she and the elder Malfoy had agreed not to inform anybody just yet.

'Hermione,' the man said in reply. She noticed that Viktor's face appeared to be slightly blank. Almost like he had no expression in it whatsoever. Strange.

'Are you quite alright?' she asked him as she stood aside to let him in, 'You look a bit funny.'

'I do?' he replied, not looking her in the face as he walked inside Grimmauld Place and began to stride immediately down the corridor. Hermione, extremely confused, slammed the door and walked quickly after him, wondering what on earth was going on.

Viktor was searching the sitting room thoroughly, as if he was looking for something in particular.

'What are you doing here?' she asked, trying to get his attention, but he wasn't very interested. He tried to walk past her to get to the next room but she threw an arm out in front of him to block his passage.

'Viktor, answer my question please, _what are you doing here?_ '

He stared at her with that same blank expression and she started to get a little frightened. Her heart began to race as he just continued to gaze at her, looking like a very out of place statue. Hermione felt the expression on her face contort into confusion.

All of a sudden, before she could even move to defend herself, Viktor rugby tackled her to the floor and she let out a scream as she felt him pin her down with his arms and legs. She started to really panic now. The man was looking absolutely possessed.

'Vhere is Potter?' he asked in a loud voice, gripping her wrists so painfully that she couldn't contain her squeals, 'VHERE IS POTTER?'

'What are you doing, Viktor, get off of me!'

He let go of her hand instantly and for a moment she thought he might release her – she thought wrong.

SMACK.

Hermione screamed again as the back of his hand struck her roughly across the face and she began to thrash even more, willing the tears not to fall from her eyes. What was he going to do to her? Why was this happening? She tried to wriggle out from beneath him again, but he held her in place, staring down at her form with that same blank look in his eyes. He was beginning to press himself down onto her even more, so much so that she was finding it difficult to breathe.

'Viktor, stop it, _please –_ '

'STUPEFY!'

Her attacker fell on top of her with a loud thump and she felt the air being ripped completely from her lungs as she struggled to move his body off of her.

She saw Lucius's face, pale with rage, within moments and Hermione finally took a huge gulp of air as he successfully removed the man's bulk from on top of her. He was kneeling beside her instantly, looking more concerned than she had ever seen him in his life. He quickly pulled off his cardigan to place underneath her head and his hands began searching her body for injuries.

'What happened? I didn't even hear the bastard come in until you started screaming – Merlin, what did he do to you? If he has hurt you in any way, I _will_ _kill him_.'

Hermione grimaced slightly, placing the palm of her hand to the cheek that Viktor had hit not moments ago.

'It's ok, you got him before he did anything serious. He just slapped me.'

Lucius's eyes flashed in anger and she saw his nostrils flare.

'He will be punished for daring to lay a hand on you. How did he get into the house?'

'I let him in,' she admitted, trying to sit up but being forced down by him again, 'I genuinely don't understand what just happened – we had been in contact all week, he took me out for lunch and he had even seen Ron and Harry again. He just went insane and started ransacking the house, asking me where Harry was.'

'He was looking for Potter?'

'Yeah, I don't know why. Viktor can see him any time he wants, why did he come barging into the house now? He looked so … impassive. He barely looked at me and when he did it was like the light had left his eyes, or something –'

'Idiot woman! How could you not spot the Imperius Curse when it was staring you in the face?'

Hermione gawked at him, the lightbulb in her head flashing as she realised what a fool she had been. Of course it was the Imperius, she just didn't recognise it. In her defence, she hadn't seen it used in years and didn't think she would need to see it again either. What was going on?

'Why was he under the Imperius curse, I don't understand!'

'Neither do I, but this is not the time to question it, we must leave here immediately.'

'What? We can't leave, someone is after Harry, we need to warn him!'

Lucius was wrapping Viktor up in ropes that were shooting out of his wand, just to ensure he couldn't escape. Hermione felt bile rise in her throat.

'I'll have Draco do it. Do you know where they went?'

'No,' Hermione admitted as a rush of emotion suddenly hit her and she found herself crying, 'I've no idea where they've gone. Oh, my God, they could be in danger!'

Lucius enveloped her in his arms as he tried to comfort her as best he could. He would never admit that he was just as terrified as she was right now. Someone had gotten into her house with very little effort and God knows what would have happened to her if he hadn't been here. He didn't even want to think about it.

'Come. We have to go. It is not safe here. We'll get Potter and Weasley, I promise. I must warn their family – we don't know who could be behind this.'

He removed his arms from around her and stood quickly, his hand gripping his wand so tightly she was surprised he hadn't snapped it in half.

'I am disabling the Floo network to the house before we leave. Just in case.'

He disappeared for no more than five seconds into the sitting room and Hermione took the chance to heave herself from the floor, staring at Viktor's unresponsive body as she did so.

She couldn't believe it had happened to him again. After all he had gone through during the Triwizard Tournament, someone had used him to get to Harry, just like last time. The tears didn't stop falling as she looked at him in pity.

Lucius strode towards her from the sitting room entrance and grabbed her arm.

'I will take you to the Manor first and come back for him. You are too shaken to travel alone.'

Hermione wanted to argue with him but couldn't bring herself to. Glancing one last time at Viktor, she walked back to the front door with Lucius and stepped outside, breathing in the fresh air gratefully. Maybe she should have gone out with Ron and Harry after all.

She didn't have much time to enjoy it, however, as Lucius turned on the spot almost instantly and they were gone.


	38. Chapter 38

38.

 _10_ _th_ _May 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Gardens._

They appeared outside the Manor, only a few metres from the front door. Hermione could feel the anger radiating from Lucius and cringed slightly as he shouted.

'FLOPPY!'

The young House-Elf apparated in front of them directly, giving them both a small bow.

'Master, what can Floppy do for you?'

'Floppy, please take Miss Granger inside and make her a cup of tea. I need to speak with Master Draco straightaway.'

'Yes, Master.'

Hermione looked to Lucius in confusion – why was he leaving her? He noticed her expression and pulled her into a crushing hug.

'I will be gone only for moments. As soon as I have spoken with Draco and contacted Arthur Weasley I will come back to you.'

She nodded and he wiped the tears from her eyes with a finger.

'Please, go inside and rest. I shall not be long.'

He kissed her forehead before turning and rushing into the house whilst Floppy began pulling her in the direction of the nearest sitting room. _She would be fine_ , Lucius thought, the Elf would probably be good for her right now.

Draco came out into the hallway with an irritated expression on his face, his hands in his pockets.

'Why on earth are you caterwauling, father? What is –'

'Draco, we don't have time. I need you to go and find Potter and Weasley.'

'Potter and Weasley?' Draco repeated, looking confused, 'Why?'

' _Don't_ question me, Draco, I am not in the mood. I must contact Arthur Weasley immediately. There's been an incident. Viktor Krum got into Grimmauld Place and attacked Hermione – he was under the Imperius curse. He was also looking for Potter – you need to get to him and warn him now. Check all the usual pubs, Hermione seems to think they have gone out drinking.'

Draco didn't need further explanation and nodded, leaving without saying another word.

Lucius then wasted no time in storming into his office, barely able to keep the anger at bay. The shock and upset of the attack on Hermione had momentarily stayed his rage – but not now. He was absolutely livid, but had no idea what he could take it out on.

Grabbing a quill and piece of parchment from his desk, Lucius scribbled a short note to Arthur telling him to contact him immediately and gave him permission to use the Floo network to get here. Hopefully he would respond quickly.

Thankfully his owl was lounging by the windowsill, pecking on the remnants of food that the House-Elves had obviously brought her.

'Take this to Arthur Weasley as quickly as possible. It is urgent.'

His owl took the parchment from his hands and held it in her beak as he opened the window for her – she disappeared without a trace only seconds later.

Lucius had to push his anger aside as he realised Hermione was still upset. She was the most important thing right now.

He rushed from the study and made his way to the sitting room, feeling his stomach drop as the first thing he saw was Hermione curled up into a ball in an armchair, staring into space. She barely even noticed him walk over until he was kneeling directly in front of her, tucking strands of her hair behind her ears.

'Hermione, talk to me. You are in shock.'

She sniffled slightly and rested her chin on her knees.

'I can't deal with this, Lucius. I thought that time was over ... you know, living in fear of an attack. I don't want our lives to be in danger anymore. After all Harry and Ron and everyone has been through. It just isn't fair.'

He frowned but let her lower her legs so he could pull her into an embrace.

'I am afraid that being Harry Potter's best friend may not grant you that luxury – but I swear to you, on everything I hold dear, no one will touch you again whilst I am here. You must stay in the Manor for now. I cannot allow you to go home.'

'What about Viktor?' she asked, and Lucius's blood boiled again just thinking about him, 'Are you going to get him?'

'I'm not sure that is the most sensible idea at the moment as I would most likely beat him to within an inch of his life.'

'It's not his fault,' Hermione admonished, but still holding onto him all the same.

'I understand that, but he was still stupid enough to get an Imperius curse placed upon him. I will send Floppy, I think. He will be in no danger – he's a very smart Elf.'

She smiled unexpectedly and Lucius felt himself calm just looking at her.

'I love the way you talk about them, you know.'

He smiled kindly and rested his forehead against her own, their hands entangled.

'They are part of this family and represent the Malfoy name. Ever since we met again in January I realised just how important that was. I have gotten to know my House-Elves a lot better since.'

She chuckled and held onto Lucius even tighter, never wanting to let him go. He held in his sigh and thought about the task that needed to be done.

' _Floppy._ '

The Elf appeared out of thin air again, bowing. Lucius interrupted him before he could speak.

'Floppy, I would like you to apparate to 12 Grimmauld Place and pick up a body that should be lying unconscious in the hallway. Bring it back here, if you please, and lay him down in one of the guest rooms. Be sure to seal the doors so he does not have any means of escaping.'

Floppy bowed once more and vanished again – only a second before the sitting room door burst open.

' _Hermione!_ '

The couple let go of one another and looked around to see Harry and Ron rush into the room, extremely harassed, whilst Draco wandered in after them, looking as nonchalant as ever. Lucius was standing in an instant, the mask of composure back on his face as he studied the two men in front of them.

'What's going on?' Harry said, gazing confusedly between the two, 'What happened to you?'

'Malfoy just said it was an emergency,' Ron added, his expression matching his friend's, 'What are you doing with _him._ '

Sighing, Hermione stood up, giving Lucius a small smile to assure him she was alright. He nodded and stepped back, looking haughtier than ever as the men sent him accusatory stares. She looked back at them sternly before beginning.

'It's Viktor.'

' _Krum?_ '

'Yes, Ron, how many other Viktor's do we know? He came to the house only a few minutes after you left and he just charged in, saying he was looking for something.'

'What was it?'

'What the bloody hell did he want?'

'Well,' Hermione said, 'He wanted you actually, Harry.'

The two men gaped at her in silence and she took the opportunity to continue.

'He was acting rather manic, but at the same time he had no facial expression at all. He was completely blank.'

Harry seemed to come to the realisation quicker than she had.

'Imperius?'

'Imperius,' she confirmed, nodding sadly.

'But that doesn't make sense, how did you end up here?' Ron asked, still looking at Lucius suspiciously. Hermione cleared her throat awkwardly.

'It so happens that I had invited him round for a drink –'

' _What?'_

'When did this happen?'

' _Stop it!'_ Hermione hissed at them, her arms folded and eyes flashing, 'That is not important at the moment! Anyway, if it wasn't for Lucius, I wouldn't even be here right now so keep your traps shut!'

They stopped protesting immediately, but still looked confused. Both men were trying exceptionally hard to keep their composure and thankfully Hermione did not notice their struggle – they did not fancy being on the receiving end of one of her hexes.

'As soon as I started to block his way and ask questions, he pinned me down and started screaming at me, demanding to know where you were. Lucius ran upstairs and knocked him out just in time.'

Harry and Ron looked over at the man who was standing in the corner, whose face was like thunder.

'Yes, just in time to stop that incomprehensible fool from hitting you again.'

' _He hit you?_ ' Ron shouted, looking furious, 'I'm going to kill him!'

'Form a line, Weasley,' Lucius sneered, grinding his teeth in a manner quite unlike him. His anger towards Viktor had most definitely not abated.

'Let's not get ahead of ourselves,' Harry reasoned, in contrast to the fury on his own face, 'As bad as this is, it wasn't technically his fault. It was whoever cast the Imperius. But how the bloody hell will we find that out?'

'My House-Elf has taken Krum up to one of the guest bedrooms,' Lucius elaborated, 'I strongly suggest you interrogate him – find out what he knows.'

'I second that,' interrupted Ron, raising his hand before turning to Hermione, 'Are you sure you're alright? We will quite happily maim him if you want us too.'

'No, that's fine,' she replied with a laugh, 'I just want to know the truth. We can't go home just now though, it's not safe enough until we know for sure what happened.'

'I have already taken the liberty of contacting your father,' Lucius interjected, looking towards Ron, 'I am sure he should be arriving very soon.'

'Why?' Ron asked, feeling rather confused. Lucius rolled his eyes.

'Hermione has already been targeted because she is Potter's friend – don't you think that the person who organised the attack would have had other options? Your family could be in danger too.'

Ron looked momentarily shocked at the gesture but then nodded, as he and Harry both rolled up their sleeves, preparing to take action.

'Right, well, perhaps it would be best if I stayed with Hermione for now and the rest of you –'

' _I_ would prefer to stay with her, thank you,' Lucius said, not prepared to engage in any arguments about it, 'You two are the Aurors – take care of Krum. Draco, would you mind waiting for Arthur Weasley for me? Fill him in on what has happened and let him take his own action from there.'

His son nodded in acknowledgement and strolled from the room again with a small smirk playing on his lips that had evidently appeared due to the outraged look on Ron's face.

'Floppy will show you to the room.'

As if he had heard his Master's call, the small House-Elf appeared at the door, looking pointedly at Hermione's friends as if beckoning them to come with him. Harry and Ron took one last look at her. She smiled half-heartedly.

'I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. Just find out what's going on here, alright?'

Harry smiled back at her and grabbed Ron's arm, pulling him forcefully from the room. The door was closed behind them with a small click.

Hermione sighed, falling back into the arm chair once more – she felt completely exhausted. Lucius came to kneel next to her again, back to his concerned self now that the other men had departed. He took her hand in both of his and patted it lightly.

'As if things weren't complicated enough,' she finally said, giving Lucius a smile as he chuckled, 'I don't think my life was ever meant to be simple.'

He kissed her hand and smirked a little.

'My dear, you are an extraordinary witch. When someone is capable of extraordinary things, their life is rarely simple. It just isn't meant to be.'

'You're not exactly filling me with confidence here.'

'That was not my intention,' he replied, laughing at the less than appreciative glance she gave him, 'Perhaps one day will come when you won't have to worry anymore. Until then, we can only continue on. At least, however, you won't have to walk alone.'

She patted his hand, smiling gratefully, and feeling a little bit better than she did five minutes ago.

'I appreciate the sentiment. Thank you.'

There was a small knock on the door and Lucius pulled himself away from Hermione just in time before Draco poked his head through. She bristled slightly.

'Weasley turned up. He's gone to inform the rest of his family. I think everyone is going to be on their guard from now on. Potter says he's going to see Shacklebolt as soon as he's finished interrogating Krum.'

'Good, good …' Lucius muttered, thinking deeply, 'Well, there is little more to do now other than wait. Thank you, Draco.'

'I will be with Astoria if you need me.'

And with a nod to his father and then Hermione too, he was gone, closing the door behind him once again and leaving the couple in an uncomfortable silence. Hermione tried to hold her tongue, as she felt annoyance bubble up inside her, but she needed to know.

'Why did you jump away from me like that?'

Lucius raised his eyebrows, evidently under the impression that he hadn't done anything wrong. In his mind, he certainly hadn't. She was sitting with her arms folded, an accusatory glare in her eyes as she waited for him to answer. It clicked in his head suddenly as to why she would be annoyed and he gave her a small smile.

'We agreed last week not to make this relationship public. Not only for reasons of privacy but I am still a married man to the rest of the Wizarding world, regardless of what the truth is. It would do well for us to exercise caution. That and the fact that I do not want my son, nor your friends, witnessing us being too intimate together.'

She looked like she was about to interrupt, but he raised a finger.

'Not for the reasons you think. We have been through this; I am not ashamed. Forgive me if I wish to keep my private life exactly that. I am not yet comfortable showing intimacy in front of other people.'

Hermione was pondering his words, not yet unfolding her arms as she chewed on her bottom lip. She sighed eventually, standing up to face him properly.

'I understand,' she admitted, smiling a little as he took her hand, 'Let's just focus on the next few months then. A combination of Percy and Audrey's wedding as well as the charity Quidditch match is bound to tip me over the edge at some point.'

Lucius smirked at her, pulling her closer as he kissed the palm of her hand.

'I am more than willing to help you relax.'

Hermione laughed loudly. The distress she had felt since the events of this evening was practically gone. He did that for her … whenever she was around him she forgot everything else. Harry and Ron would deal with Viktor, she would go back to work and she would be with Lucius. What else could there possibly be to fear?


	39. Chapter 39

39.

 _11_ _th_ _May 2002. Ministry of Magic. Level Two. Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Auror Headquarters. Interview Room._

Krum looked as if he was going to crack under the strain of this any second. He had been questioned for many hours now, over the space of two days, and he wasn't looking healthy. It was a good thing, really, that Harry and Ron had been the first Aurors to get their hands on him because he would not have fared so well under some of the others. They were bringing him food and drink and anything else that could possibly help him to remember – but he couldn't.

It wasn't very promising. The only information that Viktor had been able to give them was where he had been before his mind went blank – and that wasn't particularly useful in itself.

Kingsley had been in at one point as well, but he had made even smaller progress than Harry and Ron. It wasn't looking like they were getting any closer to finding out who was behind all of this.

Ron seemed to have it in his head that it couldn't be any of the Death Eaters who were in Voldemort's first circle – all of them were accounted for, whether captured or dead. Harry was inclined to agree with him. Another fact that suited this theory was that the 'attacks' so far weren't very well thought out.

They had discovered – not an hour after they had first began interrogating Krum – that someone had tried to place an Imperius on Percy as he was on his way back from work too. It had been very poorly cast, however; Percy broke out of it within seconds, but before he could get a chance to search for who had attempted it, they had disappeared.

As Ron and Kingsley had both said, if these people were of any real threat to them, they would have succeeded - Harry then reminded them how close they were to getting to Hermione and that had quickly shut them up.

Harry was getting just as mad and tired as Krum by this point. He was so desperate for one, small speck of information but on the other hand he really just wanted to go home to his bed. Ginny had mailed him three times already and he was pretty convinced she wouldn't be going anywhere until he made contact with her.

'I can't answer any more of these questions,' Viktor said again, rubbing his eyes roughly, 'I know nothing else. Please can I just go?'

'We need to get Head of Department's approval first,' Ron said, shrugging apologetically, 'Sorry, just the way it goes. You'll need to sign a few things before you leave as well. Safety precautions and stuff.'

'Safety from vhat?' the man asked irritably.

'Well, don't know if you've noticed but you're not exactly in here for no reason – someone used an Unforgiveable Curse on you to try and get to Harry. Most likely that means you are still in some danger. You remember what happened the last time, you know, after the Triwizard –'

'You do not need to remind me of that,' Krum interrupted, folding his arms and scowling at them both as he sat in his seat, 'I vould just like to get out of here. If I could see Hermione to apologise –'

'We don't know if we'll be able to do that,' Harry said, not bothering to hide his own irritation, 'For all we know she could still be quite shaken up. There's a good chance she won't even want to see you.'

Guilt flashed in Krum's eyes briefly before he began to stare at the floor, determined not to have any more conversation whatsoever. Harry just simply sighed and signalled to Ron to leave the room with him.

'We'll be back in a few minutes with your release papers. Won't be long.'

Krum simply grunted as they both left him alone, closing the door behind him. Ron's glower appeared instantly on his face as they got out of earshot.

'Git.'

Harry rolled his eyes.

'He's been through quite a lot the last couple of days, Ron, I'd say he's entitled to be a bit of a git.'

'He's entitled to nothing – I should be skinning him alive for what he did to Hermione, he's lucky I'm being so nice.'

'You know you wouldn't do that, regardless of what he did to Hermione. It's not our job.'

'Hmm, shame,' Ron commented as they both entered Harry's office, 'So, what now?'

'We get a hold of Kingsley, let him know there's nothing more that can be done. Then we need to contact –'

There was a chap on the door that stopped him mid-speech.

'Ron? Harry?'

They turned to see Hermione standing outside the door, looking remarkably well considering what she had been through yesterday. She had a small smile on her face, which quickly turned into a frown as she realised how tired they both looked.

'Have you been at this since you left yesterday?' she said, beginning to scold them.

'How are you feeling?' Ron asked, changing the subject swiftly, 'And what are you doing here? You should really be resting.'

'I came to see Viktor,' she replied, a determined look on her face, 'I just need to let him know I don't blame him for what happened.'

'Hermione, I don't think that's such a –'

'No buts. Please. I need to do this.'

Harry and Ron glanced at each other briefly; they didn't really have much of a choice.

'Alright,' the former said, nodding, 'I'll take you to him. Ron, would you mind messaging Kingsley and asking him to get down here. Best get the ball rolling as soon as possible.'

His friend gave a wave of acknowledgement as Harry and Hermione left the room together, heading back in the direction of the interview room. Hermione was wringing her hands slightly, apparently more nervous than she was letting on.

'Are you sure you're going to be alright going in there?'

She nodded firmly.

'I must. I would never forgive myself if I didn't. He's still in as much danger as we are.'

They came to the entrance seconds later and Harry laid a hand on hers before he opened the door.

'I'll be nearby, if you need anything. I can only give you five minutes – we're getting him out of here as soon as possible.'

She smiled at him in thanks before wandering through the entryway; the sight of Viktor sitting in his chair, looking tired and dejected, made her feel all the more sorry for him. He didn't deserve this.

As Harry closed the door behind her, the man looked up – his obvious shock at seeing her made her chuckle lightly.

'Sorry … maybe should have got Harry to introduce me first.'

'Hermione?' Krum said, rising from his chair to bow in her direction, 'I did not expect to see you.'

'I know,' she replied, moving closer, so as to let him know she wasn't afraid.

He gave her a very hesitant smile.

'I haff many apologies to make. For vhat I haff done –'

'It wasn't your fault. Everyone knows it. I accept your apology, even if it was not really you who hurt me yesterday.'

'It vas still me.'

'Viktor. Enough. I forgive you.'

She smiled at him lightly and patted his shoulder. It was so important that she let him know that, at least.

She didn't expect him to kiss her, though.

Before Hermione could even protest, Viktor had clamped his lips upon hers, much more forcefully than she had kissed him before – he seemed to be putting every ounce of his thanks into their embrace, but she could not allow it.

Pulling back and pushing a hand against his chest, Hermione shoved Viktor away from her as gently as she could. He looked confused, but she shook her head at him. It was unfortunate that things had to be this way between them, but she was with Lucius now – and she could not risk her relationship with him for anything.

'I'm sorry, Viktor. I can't. There's someone else.'

The confusion left his face as he began to understand, but now he just looked dejected again. It didn't make her feel any better.

'That man … the vun you were with when I saw you –'

'Yes. It's him.'

Viktor was having an internal struggle with himself, she could see it; she could also understand why he was having that struggle. Lucius was well known to him, even if he had not participated in the war as she had … he quite obviously wanted to warn her against him. Hermione couldn't take any more of that, however, and almost made to leave – he grabbed her arm.

'I vill always be there for you, Hermione. I hope you know that.'

There was the Viktor she knew. Hermione couldn't help but grin at him.

'Of course. And I you.'

As she left him in the room again, she noticed that Harry had miraculously disappeared from outside the door. He must have had good reason, she supposed.

She made the decision to leave without saying goodbye – she had told Lucius that she would only be gone an hour at the most. She didn't want to leave him any longer.


	40. Chapter 40

40.

 _24_ _th_ _May 2002. Ministry of Magic. Level Two. Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Auror Headquarters._

It had been two days since anyone had last seen Neville.

Harry himself had sent him on the assignment on Wednesday morning – it had been nothing but a check-up, just a hint of a disturbance that someone had reported via an owl on Tuesday morning. They got letters like that all the time, things that Law Enforcement didn't really have the time to be checking out, so the Aurors took it on instead.

This time, however, there had appeared to be something of significance. Neville had managed to send a Patronus saying that it would take slightly longer than usual to check the perimeters and determine the cause of the disturbance and that had been the last they heard from him.

Harry and Ron had gone Thursday morning to investigate the place where Neville had been sent. They might not have bothered had it not been for the fact that Hannah Abbot – Neville's girlfriend – had owled Harry on Wednesday night asking where he had gone. Although neither of the men were worrying at that point, they felt it was better to scan the area nonetheless.

There was no trace of him anywhere. No spell, or manual check, led to them discovering anything that had happened to their friend and there was no magical disturbance in the air either. It was as if he hadn't shown up there at all.

They had looked for anything, any possibility of a clue that could lead them to Neville's whereabouts but they found nothing. That was when Harry had begun to panic.

Neville was an extremely competent Wizard and his skills had only improved with age and confidence. He was not the type of person to fall into any danger unless he had been taken by surprise – and in spite of Ron's assurances of the contrary, Harry was led to believe that his disappearance was of a sinister nature.

They had both spent all day and all night in the office yesterday, not taking one break, to see if they could try and trace where the letter had come from. Ron suggested it could have been set as a trap, but as Harry reminded him, who on earth would want to set a trap for Neville?

They had told no one but Hannah of this development. She had a right to, of course, but they couldn't bring themselves to make it well known. What were they going to do when people found out about this? Harry dreaded to think of Neville's grandmother's reaction. She hadn't been in the best of health recently, but both her grandson and his girlfriend had been keeping her going. This was potentially going to be fatal for her.

Once more, they had come in early to research again. Ron had obviously been up all night, as he continued to yawn and rub his eyes, but nothing could sway him from the work at hand. Harry had never seen him so determined in years. His best friend sighed suddenly, palming his face with his hands. Harry frowned and slapped Ron on the back.

'We'll find him, mate. I know we will. Neville's a strong person. Whatever has happened I'm sure he'll be fine.'

Ron shook his head slightly, looking at him through tired eyes.

'What else are we going to do? We're getting nowhere with the information we've got and there is nothing to be found on the scene. We have to tell someone.'

Harry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he realised that Ron was right. Even if it was Kingsley, someone needed to be informed so they could get as many hands as possible involved in finding Neville.

Suddenly, the men spun round towards the door as a knock sounded and they were surprised to see Draco Malfoy standing there, a troubled look on his face.

'Potter. Weasley. I need a word.'

Harry soundlessly gestured towards the seat across from him and Draco took it without a second thought. There was no pomp and circumstance in the man's demeanour like there usually was – something was definitely wrong. Ron gazed at him with worried expression.

'Is something up, Malfoy? Is it Hermione?'

Draco chuckled humourlessly, running a hand through his hair.

'Granger is perfectly fine, as far as I am aware. Her and my father appear to be getting on splendidly.'

'That's enough of that information,' Harry interrupted, wrinkling his nose in disgust, 'What did you come to see us for if it wasn't for that? Something to do with the charity match?'

'No, not the match either. Everything is still going to plan … it's actually something that I've been discussing with Astoria.'

'Greengrass?' Ron asked, looking both confused and slightly suspicious, 'What have we got to do with a conversation you were having with your girlfriend?'

Malfoy looked anxious for a second and faltered, obviously finding it difficult to compose what he was going to say to them. He cleared his throat.

'Look, you are both well aware of the … _connections_ our families have. You know, with the War, etc.'

Harry and Ron nodded, jaws clenched. They had never really discussed this topic with either of the Malfoys much, so they weren't entirely sure why he was bringing it up now. Draco continued.

'She informed me last night that she had heard rumours – from some of her own acquaintances, mind you, no one that either me or my father particularly associate ourselves with. These rumours were pertaining to what they called the Lost Regime. You can imagine the types of people with these ideas: Death-Eater's partners, families, or people who had been supportive of the Dark Lord's cause without really getting themselves involved.'

Harry was losing his patience.

'Spit it out, will you! What is going on?'

'Allegedly some of them were planning to stage an attack – a capture. They were hoping to lure you or Weasley or someone out into the middle of nowhere on some made-up complaint of a disturbance.'

Harry and Ron were completely silent now, both of them as pale as Malfoy, as they realised what he was saying to them. This couldn't be.

'What was going to happen then? What were they going to do next?' Ron asked, dreading to hear the answer. Draco, however, shrugged his shoulders, looking genuinely unsure.

'Astoria didn't know and I didn't press her. That's all the information I managed to gather.'

'Malfoy, we need to know more,' Harry interrupted again, his palms sweating, 'This information is absolutely vital. Look, we haven't told anyone, but Neville went missing a couple of days ago – Wednesday morning, in fact. I sent him out to check a disturbance.'

Malfoy narrowed his eyes.

'And you didn't think to send anyone with him?'

Ron's face went red and he stood up from his chair to pace the room, looking more agitated by the second. Harry wasn't that far behind him.

'Malfoy, the Aurors haven't exactly got a lot of willing participants at the moment. With the War over, people don't want to have to deal with any kind of trouble anymore and this is one of the worst jobs for it. We are short-staffed, particularly in light of the fact that we still have some Death-Eaters and Snatchers on the loose. Everyone is working flat-out and we didn't _have_ anyone to send with Neville. He works well enough on his own anyway. I just never imagined that anything like this would happen.'

'Never mind any of this shit!' Ron said loudly, slamming his hands down on the nearest desk, 'I don't give a flying fuck about anyone else, I want information!'

Harry simply sat back and watched, agreeing with his friend's sentiments. This was far too important of an opportunity to miss – they needed this desperately. Ron turned to Draco at this point, looking absolutely furious.

'You bring Astoria in here, right now, or I will go to her house and pull her in myself. She will tell me everything she knows about this "Lost Regime" –'

'But it's all just rumours,' Draco attempted to say.

'Bullshit! Rumours or not, I don't care – I want everything. Names, dates, houses, whatever she has. I will find where Neville is if it's the last thing I do.'


	41. Chapter 41

41.

 _25_ _th_ _May 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. Ground Floor. Sitting Room._

Lucius was unbelievably content. Never had he thought it was possible to be this happy. He felt like he was in a dream and he could wake up any moment, back to the nightmare that was his previous life. But, no. This was definitely real.

Hermione Granger was the only real thing in his life. Draco was even more absent now that she was here, but Lucius had a feeling it was because he felt free to do as he pleased now, like his father was taken care of so he didn't have to be there as much. He didn't mind in the slightest, of course. The last couple of weeks he had had alone with Hermione had been the best of his life.

It wasn't even necessary for her to be here anymore – Potter and Weasley had moved back in to Grimmauld Place a few days ago – but there was an unspoken agreement between them never to mention it. Lucius would be happy if she stayed here for good. That's how much he was enjoying her company.

They had taken things very slowly since she had moved in. He hadn't made a move on her after the upset she had suffered because of Krum. Needless to say he had left the country as soon as he had been interrogated (not only because of the damage he had caused, but because it was safer for him as well). Lucius was aware that Hermione had spoken to the man before he had left the country – which he had tried very hard to prevent her from doing – but she was friends with him again, just as they had all expected. Once again, she was far too good.

But now things were beginning to get back to normal: Hermione was back at work from Monday-Friday and they were continuing with the plans for the charity match. Potter had made them hold off for a little while longer due to the events that had taken place but he wasn't sure how long Hermione was going to last before she put her foot down. Everyone had been worried about her and it was quite obvious she was getting sick of it.

She was sitting at this moment in her pyjamas, engrossed in one of the books from his library. He had given her free reign to all of the books he owned and needless to say she had been ecstatic. She tried not to read too many, as she didn't want to ignore her host, but he encouraged it. It was good to see her happy again.

Lucius was unconsciously watching her, every breath that she took and every time her fingers moved to turn the page. He was entranced by her. She was so elegant in everything that she did, he wondered sometimes if she was even human.

He desired her more and more every day. It had been hard for them to broach that subject, however, even if it was common knowledge amongst Hermione's friends that they were dating now. Lucius believed it to be because things were going so well between them at the moment – if they slept together and things got more serious, it could change everything. He was apprehensive about that just as much as she was, but with every hour that he passed in her company, it became more difficult for him to resist her.

Suddenly, the woman in question placed her book down on the nearest coffee table and raised her arms into the air to stretch them as she sighed. Her cotton pyjama top rose slightly to reveal the smallest hint of skin on her stomach and Lucius couldn't help but swallow dryly as he caught a glimpse of it. He longed to touch her there. Her skin looked wonderful.

'Sorry,' she said, yawning a little as she stood up, 'Got slightly carried away with that book. It was fascinating.'

Lucius smiled at her, noticing the sun shining through the window had formed a halo of light around her head. She fitted the picture perfectly.

'Is it customary for women to look so flawless at 8 o'clock in the morning?' he asked with a small smirk, watching with amusement as Hermione practically snorted with laughter and incredulity.

'You were married to Narcissa Black – possibly the most polished woman I have ever seen – and you think _I_ look flawless?'

Lucius shook his head at her and tutted, rising from his chair to walk over and stand next to the window. It was a lovely day outside and summer was most definitely beginning to show. The gardens were flourishing. In his opinion, however, no sight was more agreeable to him than that of the woman standing beside him with her dressing gown wrapped around her small form.

'Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose,' he commented drily, placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him, 'But I have seen no sight more beautiful than you in the morning, my dear.'

Hermione's cheeks went pink, but she nudged him slightly.

'I hope I am more than just a pretty thing to look at,' she retorted jokingly, which caused him to smile again.

'Your beauty is enhanced by your intellect and your kindness, Hermione. You would still be exquisite without it, but I confess I would not be with you if you did not have those other attributes. An intelligent conversation is most important in a relationship, after all.'

'Something that you have in abundance, thankfully.'

'I should hope so. My looks aren't always what they were.'

Hermione rolled her eyes at him and rested her head on his chest as they gazed out of the window together.

'As I continually have to remind you, you are not some horrible, ugly beast yourself. Quite the contrary.'

Lucius looked down at her with a sad smile.

'To you, anyway.'

She frowned at him and turned so she could wrap her arms around his middle, appreciating the way that he held her back so possessively.

'You also need to stop being so hard on yourself,' she said in a quiet voice, listening to his heart through his chest, 'We are all human, Lucius. We've done things we're not proud of. I wish you would start to see the good in you … because that is all that I see.'

He kissed the top of her head lightly, feeling like the only man in the world. This was why he saw no other woman except her and why he could not imagine his life without her ever again. She was everything to him and he needed her for more reasons than one. She was special.

'What would you like to do today?' he asked her, rubbing his thumb in circles on her neck to help her relax, 'It is the weekend, so no work. That is an order.'

She tutted loudly and gazed up at him with a stern look.

'I do not take orders from _you_. I can do as I please.'

'Not in my house,' he countered with a smirk, 'When you are in my house you must adhere to my rules. That is the way things are, I'm afraid.'

'Oh?' she said, her eyebrows raised and a mischievous look in her eye, 'And what sort of rules do you have for me?'

'I think it may be prudent of me to show you …' he began, lowering his lips to hers.

' _Master?'_

Lucius closed his eyes in frustration as Floppy's voice sounded behind him and once again he was forced to control his wand hand. He wasn't completely sure if he was going to survive any more interruptions – or if anyone else would either.

'What is it, Floppy?' he asked in an irritated voice, letting go of Hermione as they turned to see what the issue was.

'Floppy has a visitor at the gates and the House-Elves are not knowing who it is,' he began, twisting his small hands, 'The visitor appears to be a young woman with red hair –'

Hermione glanced at Lucius quickly before interrupting the Elf.

'Floppy does she seem to be … agitated, at all?'

'Oh, yes, miss,' Floppy said, nodding profusely, 'Currently the woman is trying to kick open the gates.'

'Oh, no,' Hermione groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. Lucius simply rolled his eyes and waved the Elf away.

'Let her in Floppy. We will have hell to pay if we don't.'

Floppy bowed and scurried out of the room as quickly as possible. Lucius turned to Hermione and planted a kiss on her forehead.

'I think I'd rather not witness this. I will go upstairs and change. Just send Floppy if you need me for anything.'

She smiled at him as he departed, but felt the smile disappear as she heard the front door crash open and someone storming through the house. Hermione wondered what on earth she had done now to warrant such a visit – for there was no other reason Ginny could possibly be here, surely.

The door to the sitting room flew open and Hermione saw her friend take in her appearance with very little surprise. Floppy had tried to get in before Ginny, evidently, but he had been no match, not when the woman was this upset.

'Is everything alright, Ginny?'

The redhead was now looking close to tears and Hermione was startled. She took her friend's arm and led her to the nearest chair, which Ginny fell into rather clumsily. Her face was white and she looked upset about something.

'What's wrong? Is it Harry?' Hermione asked, brushing the other woman's hair out of her eyes so she could see her face, 'Talk to me, Ginny.'

'It's not Harry,' Ginny sniffled, wiping her nose a little, 'But he's involved. I don't know what to do, I feel so helpless.'

' _What is it?'_

'It's Neville,' she continued, tears springing to her eyes again, 'He's gone missing, Hermione. Harry thinks he's been taken by someone.'

Hermione could barely keep her mouth closed with shock and her eyes were wide. This was the last thing she had expected. Dread filled her stomach as she realised that the perfect bubble she had been in for the last two weeks had come to an abrupt end – first Viktor and now this. Things were getting serious again.

'What do we know?' she asked, gripping Ginny's hand as she tried to stay composed, 'What can we do to help?'

'He's been missing since Wednesday.'

' _Wednesday!?_ ' Hermione repeated, anger in her tone as she looked at her friend in outrage, 'Why on earth haven't I been told before then?'

'No one knew! Harry and Ron kept it to themselves because they thought they could find him. Turns out they can't. They won't tell me too much of the details but they think this might be connected to what happened with Krum.'

'Of course it is. It has to be.'

'And now Harry and Ron have got Astoria Greengrass involved –'

'What!? What do you mean Astoria –'

'Apparently she had information. Rumours of disturbances within some of the Pureblood families. They've had her hauled in for questioning and everything. Draco isn't very happy.'

'I should hope not,' Hermione replied, feeling more furious by the second, 'Astoria would have nothing to do with any of this – we know her!'

'I know, I know and to be honest, I don't think Harry and Ron think she has anything to do with it either but she's the only one they can get information from. Draco says he knows nothing about it because the Malfoys don't associate with those families anymore.'

Hermione was deep in thought at this point and stood up to begin pacing the room. She couldn't sit by and do nothing, not when her friend's life was in danger.

'Floppy?'

With a _crack_ the Elf appeared once again, bowing low to Hermione.

'Floppy, I need you to fetch Mr. Malfoy. It's urgent.'

'Yes, Miss.'

He disappeared again instantly and she turned to see how Ginny was to find the woman staring at her with bewilderment.

'The House-Elves take orders from _you?'_

Hermione merely shrugged.

'I've gotten to know them quite well over the past few months and not just because of my relationship with Lucius, for my work with the department as well. We get on quite well. But this is all beside the point right now - I need to speak with Lucius about this myself. Why did you come to tell me instead of Ron or Harry?'

'They've been working flat out,' Ginny explained, 'I doubt they were even _going_ to tell you.'

'Well, thank you for coming to me anyway. I'm not going to just sit here, though. I'm coming back to Grimmauld Place, or the Ministry, or wherever they are and we will sort this mess out together.'

Ginny nodded, seemingly reassured, and wiped her eyes before standing from her chair.

'I'm going to go – I just thought you needed to know. Please come as soon as you can. I'll be at Grimmauld Place and then we can go together.'

Hermione pulled her friend into a hug before they parted, the redhead just passing Lucius as he entered the room. She didn't bother to greet him or take her leave and just strode outside so she could apparate. Hermione could ignore her friend's rudeness for now, she was upset which was a (somewhat) valid excuse. Lucius just looked confused.

'A flying visit?' he asked, pulling on a pair of robes on top of his usual shirt and trousers, 'What did she want?'

'Bad news, I'm afraid,' Hermione told him, folding her arms and desperately keeping her emotions at bay, 'Neville has disappeared. Captured, we think.'

Lucius raised his eyebrows, his expression showing genuine surprise.

'Someone has taken Longbottom? Why on earth would anyone want to do that?'

'No one knows. But Harry and Ron are searching for him and they think it might be linked to what happened a couple of weeks ago.'

'I see. Do they have any idea who may have taken him?'

'Not specific people, but a group of them, yes. Harry has had to get information from Astoria Greengrass.'

'What?' Lucius exclaimed, looking extremely dubious now, 'What would the Greengrass girl have to do with any of this? Draco wouldn't have allowed it!'

'It's too late for that, I believe she has already been questioned by them. Draco wasn't happy apparently but they had no choice. Anything to help with the search.'

'Hmm. Well, I sincerely hope that they find the man, wherever he may be.'

'Yes, well about that,' Hermione said in a resolute tone, 'I'm going to help them too.'

Lucius span around to stare at her furiously, his upper body becoming stiff in the manner he always took when he was angry.

'You most certainly are not going to help! Hermione, you have barely recovered from the attack _you_ suffered. There is no need to get yourself involved with this whatsoever.'

Hermione tried to keep her own temper – as she knew this was how he was going to react – but was finding it extremely difficult. Her voice remained calm as she spoke.

'I do not need your permission, Lucius. I am going to help my friends and if that means putting myself in danger then so be it. It's only right.'

The man lost all control and marched over to her, grabbing her arm in desperation. He looked manic.

'Why do you insist on being so ridiculously headstrong,' he spat at her, his eyes narrowed, 'Why can't you just accept that your friends – the _Aurors_ – will deal with this? What good is it putting yourself in harm's way? It is pointless. You will stay here.'

Hermione wrenched her arm from out of his grasp, her expression disgusted, and she stormed out of the room whilst ignoring the fact that he continued to follow her.

'Don't you walk away from me, witch! You will listen to what I have to say.'

'I have heard plenty, thank you,' she replied mockingly, climbing the staircase that led to her bed chambers, 'And you have done nothing to persuade me. You will understand how important this is to me or you will not – either way it does not affect my decision.'

She threw open the door to her room and stomped inside, realising that he had followed her in there as well. He stood just inside the room, his arms folded and a dangerous look on his face.

'I will change into my robes regardless of you standing there,' Hermione told him, without a hint of embarrassment, 'So don't think you're being smart by following me in here. I don't care.'

She turned her back for no more than a few seconds to take off her dressing gown, when she felt a body pressing against hers from behind.

Lucius had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest and she felt her heart begin to race wildly.

'You might not care, my dear,' he began in a small voice, planting kisses on the back of her neck which almost made her lose concentration, 'But I care very much. I care _immensely._ What am I to do when you are off gallivanting to save your friend? I refuse to be left here, wondering what could happen to you – if someone hurt you again, I would never forgive myself.'

'Stop distracting me …' Hermione managed to say, fighting back the moan she felt rise in her throat as he bit into her neck.

'I'm not distracting you, Hermione,' he said in a husky voice, pulling down the straps of her pyjama top and kissing her bare shoulders, 'I am taking my chance – something I have put off for far too long. You are right … I cannot stop you from leaving. But if something happens to either one of us, I need to know that I have made love to you just once. I will perish if I don't make love to you now …'

She gasped as the cold air hit her back – he was removing her top slowly, giving her time to life her arms so he could pull it over her head. She was exposed to him now and it felt wonderful.

'Come with me, then,' she found herself saying as his hands gripped her waist, 'Lucius, don't stay here. Help us. Come with me ...'

'Of course.'

Hermione heard him remove his robes and throw them to the floor and she turned instantly. His eyes travelled down her bare chest and she saw him visibly swallow. Heat rose within her and without a second thought she removed her pyjama bottoms …

Lucius made a low, growling noise which only lasted a second as she began to remove his shirt – he immediately began to help her, both of them fighting to remove it from his shoulders quickly. They did so in a flash and Hermione stared up at the man's well-defined chest.

He looked after himself; that was obvious. She didn't care much about his form, anyway, but he was in better shape than most thirty year-old's were, she imagined. She ran her hands down his chest, from his collarbone to his abdominal muscles and all the way down to the buckle of his belt …

He grabbed her hand suddenly, his eyes squeezed shut and his jaw set.

'Please … allow me.'


	42. Chapter 42

42.

 _25_ _th_ _May 2002. Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire. First Guest Bedroom._

They lay in bed together for much longer than either of them had anticipated.

Neither of them could even bring themselves to move at this moment, so spent and comfortable that they were, that they had simply spent the last half an hour smiling, laughing and talking with one another.

Hermione felt closer to Lucius than she had ever been before. It was as if a veil had been lifted from him and she could see everything: his real mannerisms, his quirks and his flaws and she wanted to experience them all. The man beside her seemed completely content to let her analyse him, so long as he didn't have to say very much.

Her hands were still trailing his upper body, still intrigued after all they had done with one another. She was fascinated by his physique and had immediately began questioning how he managed to keep so fit – needless to say he just smirked at her and didn't bother to answer. Smug git.

Currently Hermione was lying on her stomach, the majority of her body covered with the thin, silk sheets from the bed.

'This is, without a doubt, the most surreal experience I've ever had,' Hermione commented, laughing as she trailed her hand across Lucius's left arm, 'If someone had mentioned to me years ago that I would have done _this_ with _you –_ oh.'

Her fingers stopped as she ran them over a slightly ridge on the man's forearm – Lucius stiffened immediately as he realised what she had touched.

Jerking his arm away, he sat up in bed, taking care to hide his left arm now. Hermione frowned at him and sat up as well, lifting the sheets to cover her chest.

'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that … I had just forgotten you had it.'

Lucius didn't look at her as she spoke and Hermione sighed loudly, moving herself closer to plant her body right in front of his and she held out her hand.

'Your arm, please,' she ordered.

'Absolutely not,' was his reply, staring at her as if she were insane.

'Just do it.'

Lucius watched her strangely for a second, before his jaw set and he finally raised his arm from beneath the covers to give to her. Hermione took it without a thought and her eyes travelled down the length of it to see the faded – and somewhat painful looking – scar that the Dark Mark had left on his arm.

She could feel how uncomfortable this was making him, but in her opinion this needed to be done. If they expected to have any kind of relationship with one another, it was imperative that they discussed these things. She, most certainly, couldn't just ignore the past, even if she didn't hold it against him.

'Does it hurt?' Hermione asked, running her forefinger over the scar lightly.

Lucius shrugged.

'Not really, not anymore. I suppose I don't think about it much.'

She nodded in understanding and placed his arm back onto his stomach before sitting properly beside him, her legs crossed.

'I don't expect we will ever completely get over what happened during the War, Lucius,' Hermione began, sounding ridiculously serious after the events of the past hour, 'But I feel like it is important we have some sort of discussion about it.'

'I really do not feel it is necessary,' Lucius replied stubbornly, giving her a warning look as if to dissuade her from continuing. She didn't heed it, obviously.

'It _is_ necessary. Are you going to flinch every time I touch your left arm?'

He made a slightly disgusted look and unconsciously ran his right hand over the scar itself.

'I would just rather pretend that it isn't there.'

'Lucius, we _can't_ ,' she uttered again, getting slightly worried, 'We are going to have to deal with this whether we like it or not.'

'Hermione, what do you expect me to say?' he asked her, in an agitated voice, 'Do you want me to admit – yet again – that I am sorry for what I did to you and your friends? Admit that I still have _nightmares_ about that period of my life –'

'You have nightmares too?'

Both of them stared at each other in shock and silence, not knowing what to say. Neither of them had expected this admission from each other: Hermione because she expected the man not to be _too_ scarred by what had happened; Lucius because he imagined her too strong to have nightmares about anything.

'I never knew. I'm sor –'

'Please, don't apologise. Stop apologising to me,' Hermione interrupted, her heart sinking inside her chest as she realised how much he was still affected by the War too.

'The panic attacks, I assume, are a manifestation of your feelings on that subject?'

'I think so. I've never really spoken to anyone about it. Ron knew, of course, because I had nightmares when we were together. I may have mentioned it to Harry … but no one else ever knew. Not even my parents. I don't think they'd cope well if they found out.'

'What do you mean by that?'

'I found it easier – from a young age actually – that skirting around the truth of what I went through during Hogwarts and afterwards was a necessity. If my parents had _any_ idea of the danger I put myself in I don't know how they would react. They understood that I helped Harry – of course – and I did mention what the gist of it was because they were insistent but I didn't go into details. They don't know half of what happened during the War.'

Lucius looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning to speak.

'It is not my place to say – and I am well aware I have no right – but do you believe that is the healthiest way to deal with your grief? You went through a lot, Hermione; I imagine you have gone through a lot more than you have ever told me. Wouldn't your parents be able to help you?'

Hermione shrugged, running her fingers through the sheets that sat between her legs, so she had something to do.

'Honestly, I don't know. My relationship with mum and dad has always been that way. I love them so much and that's why I did what I did, I suppose. They wouldn't understand that I was doing all of that to keep them safe.

'I wiped their memories, you know.'

Lucius stared at her, as stiff as a board. She didn't really know what to tell him but it all just came blurting out before she could stop it.

'That was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Even with all the torture I endured, the people I saw die in front of me, the horrific task that Harry, Ron and I had to complete … that was the worst. Knowing there was a possibility I would never see them again. But at least I knew they would be happy and free. How were they supposed to do that here when Muggles were being targeted left, right and centre?'

She felt Lucius shift with guilt and he wasn't looking at her now. Hermione reached out a hand to grasp one of his own.

'I don't mean to bring up the past, but I just want you to understand. I want to understand you too.'

Lucius shook his head.

'I don't know if I will ever make you understand, Hermione. If you knew half of what I had done during that War – as I have warned you before – you would not be here right now.'

Hermione bit her lip, staring down into her lap as she tried to keep her composure.

'I don't need you to tell me everything – only what you are comfortable with. It's a difficult subject for both of us.'

'The difference is that the majority of what you did was right and moral. I may not have paid much heed in the past to the atrocities of my actions, but I know it now. Anyone who did not grow up in the environment like I did – a Pureblood society – would find it difficult to comprehend.'

Hermione was determined.

'Try me.'

Lucius sighed, running a hand through his hair as he let go of her hand and sat up properly in the bed. He clasped his right hand within his left and began.

'The most important thing you must understand is how Pureblood-supremacy was ingrained into the minds of children from a very young age. This has been the way for centuries – thousands of years, possibly – and it never changed, even when Draco was born. I was following in my own father's footsteps, and his before him, so even if I had had some misgivings there was no possibility of abstaining. The Dark Lord, I was told when I was a boy, was my master. He even outranked the authority of my own father. As young as we were, we did not question it.

'As I grew older, I began to notice things. That there were other Pureblood families out there who did not hold the same beliefs as my own family did. That they even mated with Muggles. That idea was incomprehensible to me after all I had been taught. I knew that if I had gone down that path, I would have been disowned at best and killed at worst. In my own way, I was envious of their life. Nonetheless, I decided to hide it behind my one innate belief that half-bloods and Muggleborns were secondary to us. Muggles were barely even human, in our society. So that was how I dealt with it.

'The Dark Lord recruited me the minute I was out of school. My family's wealth meant that I had no need of a job except to make connections in the wider Wizarding world and do everything the Dark Lord asked me to do without question. For a while, I thought myself very fortunate indeed to come under his instruction. Even Narcissa – who wasn't in his inner circle – was keen to marry into the family to gain such a great position within his ranks. The Blacks, as you can imagine, weren't exactly held in high regard.'

Hermione nodded, feeling a small sense of pride at the thought of Sirius and Regulus, but not vocalising it to him. He continued.

'Draco came along soon after. I never imagined to feel such a connection to another human being. Surprisingly, Narcissa and I got along very well for the bulk of our marriage. Draco's arrival cemented our loyalty to each other.

'And then, of course, you know what happened. The Dark Lord disappeared – right on the cusp of our victory … or so some had said. To learn that he had been vanquished by a small boy, a mere child! We had no idea what to do or think. We had no option but to fend for ourselves after that, as the Ministry were coming down hard on any known Death Eaters. I was suspected, obviously, but I lied and convinced many officials that I was under the Imperius Curse. You must understand that I did this for my son and wife, not only for myself. I did not want Draco growing up without a father, much less a father who would spend the rest of his life in prison.

'All was well, for a long time. Life went on. Many fellow Death Eaters were in Azkaban, or dead, but what did I care? None of us were friends as that wasn't the way. So long as my family were safe I cared not a bit for any of them. Narcissa was a little put out at her sister's imprisonment, but I had never liked the woman personally. She was severely unhinged.'

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. Understatement of the century.

'Then Potter returned. Started Hogwarts at the same time as my only son. I will admit that I told Draco to make ties with the boy as soon as possible – as far as we were aware, he could have been someone else to rally around, a powerful figure whom we could have respected. Well … you saw how that turned out.'

'Yes, I most certainly did,' Hermione added, 'But that was always the way it would be. Harry would never have been friends with Draco. After all, Voldemort held the same ideals as you all did and he was the one who took his parents from him. That and the fact his two best friends were a blood traitor and a Mudblood.'

'Don't call yourself that.'

'I'm not ashamed of it, Lucius! A word is just a word, created to have a specific meaning which changes over time. By referring to myself as a Mudblood, it lets other people know that it isn't taboo – it is nothing to be ashamed of, or to be insulted by. Do you see?'

Lucius smiled at her and reached over to kiss her soundly.

'Your goodness should not astonish me anymore, but I confess it still does. Although you must admit that had Draco or I called you by that term you would not take it so lightly.'

'I don't pay much attention to it anymore. People could shout 'Mudblood' at me while I was walking down the street and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. However, if _you_ did I can only imagine it would be a term of endearment.'

'Endearment?' Lucius asked, looking horrified, 'Like 'my little Mudblood'? Don't be so ridiculous, Hermione.'

'I'm only making a joke,' she sniggered, clasping his hand, 'But please continue with your story. I interrupted.'

He nodded.

'Then everything started to go wrong after that. Draco's second year in particular.'

He looked at her with a guilty expression, his hand gripping hers so tightly she was certain it would bruise – but she didn't care.

'I have nothing to excuse myself with. I was aware of what would happen should that diary end up back in the castle. I did not know that it was a Horcrux, of course, but that does not exonerate me of my actions. You were Petrified, were you not?'

'I was,' Hermione swallowed, trying to smile but finding it difficult, 'That was one of the harder years I had at Hogwarts. To find out that I was considered a second-class human in the Wizarding world.'

'There are not enough words in the English language to express how sorry I am.'

'It's done. In the past. Ginny and Harry were the people who needed closure after that event and you gave it to them. It doesn't matter anymore.'

'How can you still be so good? How can you still be here with me after all I have done?'

'That's what I do, Lucius. I forgive people. It may take me a while sometimes but I always do. One of my faults.'

'One of your virtues,' he corrected, rising onto his knees and grasping her face with his hands, 'One of your many, wonderful virtues, my darling.'

She kissed him passionately again, both of them entangled within the sheets and not bothering to take a breath. They were consumed by one another.

'We'll get carried away,' Lucius said finally, kissing her chastely one last time before falling back onto the bed.

Hermione smiled at him but felt a question burning within her as she finally took in all that he had told her.

'It was Draco, wasn't it? He was the one who made you realise that –'

'Yes. After I had been imprisoned, my value to the Dark Lord was almost non-existent. He chose Draco to complete that task to punish me … and punish me, he did.'

Lucius's eyes fell from hers and he ran a hand over his face. Hermione just sat closer to him, watching the man closely in worry. He cleared his throat and raised his head again, as if that hadn't happened.

'Physical torture is nothing – _nothing_ in comparison to watching your only child walk down the same path that you did. I knew, almost for certain, that Draco wouldn't be able to complete the task. Not because I believed him a failure, but because I knew deep down that he was a better man than me. He wasn't brave – not back then, but he was only a child – and he had a small ounce of morality which I never did.

'I was correct. In the end Severus did it and for that I will always be grateful. He was the one who managed to convince the Dark Lord to spare Draco's life. He was a good man.

'You know the rest. The War came into being and I became a prisoner in my own home. I still despise the memories that certain rooms in this house bring … one, in particular.'

He looked at her through glassy eyes and kissed her hand fiercely.

'That day I regret more than any other. I have inadvertently – and sometimes deliberately – caused you pain and suffering, on a number of occasions, but that day was the worst of my life. In my desperation to regain my place in society and the respect of my family again, I almost saw you killed. That, on top of all else I have done, has just assured my place as the most selfish human being to have walked this earth.'

'I was your enemy,' Hermione counteracted, shaking her head, 'We would have done the same, I am sure of it had the circumstances been similar. My own hatred of your family would have ensured it at the time.'

'You had every right to despise us. You _still_ have every right to despise us. I saw torture, Hermione, horrific torture of innocent beings but my deranged cousin was another story entirely. She took pleasure in everything she did, was proud of it. Towards the end, I felt no satisfaction in anything I did and it was slowly eating me alive. My final proof that I was no longer cut out to be a Death Eater was the day she tortured you. It disgusted me. It disgusted Draco and Narcissa too, but we had no time to think about it as the Dark Lord was so angry with us. We had no freedom after that.'

'And that is _it,_ ' Hermione interrupted again, placing her hand on his face, trying to get him to look at her, 'You never fought again. You abstained from the battle.'

'That does not make me _good,_ ' Lucius spat, looking disgusted with himself, 'Because I was too cowardly to fight anymore.'

'Because you wanted to save your son. It is admirable the way you both fought to find him.'

'I did not save my son,' Lucius replied sadly, shaking his head, 'You and Weasley and Potter. You saved him for us, after all he had done to you. Draco told me what happened in the Room of Requirement. I have never thanked you for that.'

'You don't need to. He already has. That's enough for me.'

All of a sudden, he reached out for her and pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace, burying his face into her neck and kissing it gently.

'You are too good for me, Hermione Granger. For all of us. I don't deserve you in the slightest.'

Hermione honestly felt like weeping as he clung to her. He didn't seem to understand that his repentance and guilt over what had occurred was enough for her to forgive him. The fact that he was attempting to change –even if it was just for her – was simply a bonus. It was horrific the way that he still tormented himself over what happened so long ago.

'Lucius, please look at me,' she ordered, her heart sinking as she saw the expression on his face, 'Don't beat yourself up over this anymore, do you understand? People say sorry isn't enough – and it isn't, if you don't mean it. But _you do_. You are changing, I see it day by day. Just as I am changing the more time I spend with you. Thank you for telling me this. I not only understand, but I sympathise with you all. Your life was as difficult as ours with just as much danger. We judged you for being Death Eaters just as much as you judged us.

'From now on, we focus on us. You and I, Lucius. The past is the past, we have forgiven each other. Now it is time to move on. Will you move on with me?'

She searched his eyes desperately to find a response but found that she didn't actually need a verbal reply – his kiss was enough to convince her of his answer.


	43. Chapter 43

43.

 _25_ _th_ _May 2002. Ministry of Magic. Level Two. Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Auror Headquarters._

Harry had begun packing things into his mokeskin pouch, not particularly paying attention to his surroundings. He and Ron were preparing themselves to go and begin the search for Neville, something neither of them were looking forward to. As much as he needed to take action, there was the nagging sensation at the back of his mind that something wasn't right – he just had a feeling that his friend was in real trouble, a lot more than just being 'missing'.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't going to be easy.

He heard someone knocking on his office door and went over to open it. His jaw went rigid with annoyance.

'Ginny, what are you doing here?'

His fiancé marched past him without a second glance and he saw another two people walk in after her: Hermione and Lucius Malfoy. Refraining from rolling his eyes at them all, he closed the door and turned to begin berating them; Hermione stopped him.

'There's no point in giving us a lecture, Harry, unless you _want_ to be incapacitated while on the search for Neville,' she scolded, folding her arms and looking defiant, 'Don't think you have the right to tell either me or Ginny that we can't go with you. We are adults. I'm ashamed that you didn't bother to tell me about this in the first place.'

Harry pushed away the guilty feeling in his stomach whilst trying to come up with a convincing argument.

'It's going to be really dangerous –'

'Yeah, we've never faced danger before, have we?' Ginny said sarcastically, glaring at him.

'We don't know what type of dark wizards are going to be out there –'

'I think we have all had more than enough experience dealing with dark wizards, Mr. Potter,' Lucius retorted with a raised eyebrow, his expression conveying just how bored he was with the interaction.

'Very funny, Malfoy. You could get yourselves killed!'

'Give it a rest, would you?' Hermione tutted at him, 'We've been through this a thousand times before and you never, ever listen. We're coming. Deal with it.'

Harry was about to retort again before someone chapped on his door. Groaning with frustration, he opened it to see Ron standing behind, looking very calm for someone who was about to embark on a dangerous mission.

Upon seeing his sister and her companions, Ron simply smirked and rolled his eyes, before taking a seat. Harry stared at him, confounded, convinced that this lack of response meant that someone had to be impersonating his best friend.

'Aren't you going to say anything?'

Ron simply chuckled.

'What's the point, mate? It's not like we could stop them anyway.'

Ginny and Hermione smiled in triumph. Without Ron on his side, Harry had no choice but to go with this, even if he didn't like putting his fiancé - in fact, any of them - in danger.

'Well, seeing as I have no choice …'

He wandered out of the room, leaving the door wide open behind him. The others merely sat in silence, wondering why on earth he had just up and left.

'Has he always been so ridiculously precautious or is this a recent development?

Hermione and Ginny laughed as Lucius asked them the question, looking genuinely interested. Ron shrugged slightly, twirling his wand between his fingers.

'Suppose he always has. Even when we were eleven, about to take on Quirrell for the Philosopher's stone he wanted to try and do it alone.'

'Like he would have been able to,' Hermione added, as Lucius watched her intently, 'If it hadn't been the Devil's Snare, then Snape's riddle most definitely would have killed him.'

'Don't forget the giant Chess Board,' Ron replied with a shudder, 'As fun as that would be now, under the circumstances at the time it wasn't exactly a barrel of laughs.'

'You passed all of these obstacles … when you were eleven?' Lucius asked, his eyes rather wide, 'And none of you were seriously injured?'

'Well, Ron and I were twelve by that point. Harry was in hospital for a little while afterwards to recover and Ron got knocked out by the Queen in the chess match, but other than that no. Surely you were told what Quirrell did?'

'We were made aware but there wasn't a massive amount of discussion as to the details. That is fascinating.'

'I told you my parents didn't know the half of it,' Hermione said, giving him shrug and a small smile.

'You must bring me up to speed, my dear,' Lucius answered with a smirk, 'It is imperative that I understand just how dangerous a witch I am dealing with here.'

'You have no idea,' she retaliated with a wink.

'Oh, do _please_ keep the philandering for a private setting, Weasley's about to spew up his lunch.'

Draco and Astoria had just sauntered into the office after Harry, both of them looking upon the scene with very different expressions: the former looked rather disgusted and took a seat without even acknowledging the others; the latter was smiling widely and greeted everyone individually before taking the seat next to her boyfriend. Lucius looked slightly put-out at their being there.

'I made the decision to involve these two as well,' Harry informed everyone, his arms folded, 'Well, I actually just needed to involve Astoria as she is the one with the vital information, but Malfoy insisted.'

Draco sneered at him. Ron looked rather confused.

'So we're going to be taking –'

He did a quick head count.

'- seven of us to the one location and hope not to be discovered. Bit of a risk, isn't it?'

'We're not all going to the same place,' Harry explained, 'We might have a good idea of where Neville could be held but that doesn't mean we know where he is for definite. I think it would be best if we split up into groups and try to find him that way. We can use a Patronus for contact if need be.'

'I still don't see why Astoria _needs_ to be involved in the first place,' Draco interrupted accusingly, staring at both Harry and Ron with an ugly look, 'If you were such competent Aurors, why couldn't you complete the task yourself?'

Ron was looking up for an argument all of a sudden, but Harry felt it prudent to answer Malfoy's question before anything started. They couldn't afford to get distracted.

'She is coming with me because she knows the layouts,' he stated, glaring right back at his old enemy, 'Both you and your father know of the other two locations which will come in handy. Nonetheless, Astoria, I am sorry but I have no other option.'

The woman simply nodded to him, looking quite unlike her partner at the moment. She turned to Draco to try and reassure him that this was the best plan available.

'It makes sense, dear. We're going to the most likely place where they'll be stationed –'

'Exactly! The most dangerous place and you only have _Potter_ for protection!'

'A well-constructed argument there, son,' Lucius interrupted, 'Trying to dissuade Astoria from being accompanied by the man who conquered the most dangerous Dark wizard of all time. _Very_ clever.'

Draco looked mutinous, but found himself backing down as Astoria held his hand to calm him. Harry took this as his cue to continue.

'Right. So Astoria and Ginny, if you could come with me. Ron, you'll need to go with Draco to the next place – he knows it well enough so it's necessary. You'll also be taking Parvati when she turns up.'

Ron hadn't been very happy about the arrangement when Harry had informed him of it – not just because he would be stuck with Malfoy for company but because he would have preferred Parvati to stay at home. She was having none of it – Parvati refused to sit at home when everyone else was out looking for their friend.

'And lastly, Hermione and Lucius,' Harry finished, 'Side-along apparition should be fine as we all have one person in our group who knows the location of each of the buildings.'

He was standing very rigidly now, his arms folded and an extremely serious look on his face

'Look, this is going to be a really dangerous trip, for all of us. We don't know what we're going to find, or how many wizards we're going to come up against so we need to be prepared for every eventuality. No one should be taking any stupid risks –'

'Very rich coming from you,' Ginny murmured.

'And if there are too many opponents get yourselves out of there as soon as possible. I really don't want to have any casualties out there. Most of all, let's all try and work as a team.'

He stared pointedly between Draco and Ron as he said this, both of whom were looking politely disinterested. Harry just rolled his eyes.

There was another knock at the door and everyone swivelled around on their chairs, intrigued as to who it could be.

'It's probably just Parvati,' Ron said as he stood up to go and open it – but before he could even reach the handle, it flew open before them.

Kingsley stood behind it, a worried look on his face as he looked directly at Harry. The younger man blanched.

'What's wrong? Has something happened?'

'It's Neville,' the Minister began, his wand gripped in his hand, 'He was found just outside St. Mungo's about five minutes ago. Well, his body was anyway.'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny felt bile rise in their throats as they all rose to stare at Kingsley in horror.

'What do you mean his body?' Hermione asked, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back her tears, 'Are you saying … he's –'

'Not dead,' Kingsley assured them, 'But he's not doing great either. Healers are working flat out at the moment trying to resuscitate him, but they're not sure if he's going to make it or not.'

Hermione managed to hold it together even as Ginny began to sob – Harry was next to her within seconds. Everyone knew just how close she was to Neville. Ron's face was pale.

'So, what can we do?'

'There's not much to do, I'm afraid. Just hope to Merlin that he survives the night.'


	44. Chapter 44

44.

 _27_ _th_ _May 2002. St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. Fourth Floor. Spell Damage._

It made Hermione feel sick to her stomach to know that Neville was lying in the next ward to his parents – he had not been far off being put in there with them.

They had all been home only once to sleep and had come back immediately afterwards. Hannah had not left her boyfriend's side as, understandably, she didn't want him to be alone. Augusta Longbottom had been in to visit, looking a lot stronger than they had expected her to be; as Hannah as said, she had proved herself to be a tough lady on a number of occasions and she loved her grandson very much.

No one else had been allowed in to see him bar his grandmother and Hannah, so as not to overcrowd the room. According to them both, however, Neville didn't look too bad on the outside because most of his injuries were internal. The Cruciatus curse had been used on him multiple times, but thankfully the Healers reassured everyone that his brain would be under no permanent damage.

Hermione knew that Harry and Ron were blaming themselves. She could see it clearly. It came as no surprise – all three of them were particularly bad for doing this – but nonetheless she tried to convince them both that their decision had nothing to do with it. If it hadn't been Neville, it could have been someone else; someone who might not have lasted as long under interrogation.

So far, interrogation was the only thing they could come up with as to why Neville would have been taken. As Draco had said, they were after Harry originally so it would have made sense to try and get his whereabouts from Neville. It was unclear whether they succeeded or not.

Lucius had tried to be there for her as much as possible. He had taken it upon himself, however, to consolidate all the plans for the charity Quidditch match in her absence. Everyone understood that she was in no mood to mingle at the moment. The match was due to take place in a couple of weeks and she just hoped that everything would work out alright without her. She trusted Lucius enough to see that it was achieved meticulously.

Currently, she, Harry and Ginny were all sitting outside of Neville's room. Ron and Parvati had left to check on their respective jobs for a while. Hermione understood. Sometimes it was awful sitting here and not being able to do anything for her friend, but on the other hand she knew she would not be of any use in the office and she didn't want any of her work to be compromised.

Harry sighed suddenly and looked at his watch. It was well into the afternoon now.

'You'd think Malfoy and Astoria would have got something by now, surely?'

He was referring to the fact that he had assigned the couple the task of getting as much information about the Lost Regime as possible. He didn't want them getting too involved (as he still didn't trust Malfoy completely) so had requested they do it as inconspicuously as possible.

Hermione tutted.

'It's been two days, Harry. For all you know these people could be lying low after what's just happened. We might not hear anything again for weeks.'

'That's what worries me,' he replied, standing from his seat and taking to pace the corridor. He was more restless than anyone at the moment.

She understood his frustration completely as well as his need for action, but as far as she was concerned the only thing that mattered right now was making sure Neville and his family were well-cared for. The time would come when Hermione would have to deal with everything else in her life, but that time was not now; Neville was the priority.

All of a sudden the doors at the end of the ward were flung open, admitting a furious Draco Malfoy who stormed towards the trio with disgust all over his face. They almost didn't notice his father rushing in behind him, who was looking decidedly paler than usual and Hermione found herself on her feet almost at once.

'What's going on?' Ginny asked, looking concerned, but her efforts to have a civilised conversation were futile – Draco was manic. Lucius shrugged off Hermione's hand from his shoulder to try and speak to his son.

'Draco, think rationally –'

'Shut up, father!' the young man raged, his right hand clenching his wand so tightly it looked ready to snap, 'This is the last straw!'

Hermione could feel her heart racing underneath her shirt as she looked between the two Malfoys with fright in her eyes. Ginny could barely contain her shock; Harry, on the other hand, kept his face completely composed. They had never seen Draco this angry before.

'Harry, Hermione, what's the matter?'

Hannah had poked her face out of the door to the room where Neville was being kept. She seemed to be slightly frustrated.

'Sorry to be a pest, but you need to keep the noise down – Neville was almost –'

'Keep your nose out of it, Abbott, this doesn't concern you,' Draco snapped.

'Now, Draco, there's no need for that!' Hermione exclaimed, appalled at his manner. Hannah simply rolled her eyes and shut the door again.

'There is every need, Granger. I've had enough of this, the whole lot of it! I am done with every single one of you –'

'Draco, think about what you are saying –'

'Father, do _not_ interrupt me again!' the man ranted, his blonde hair falling over his eyes, 'Potter, this will be my last exchange with you and your band of trouble-makers. Astoria and I will partake in this circus no longer.'

'Circus!?' Harry began, his eyes flashing, 'What the bloody hell are you –'

'We are done! Do not expect me to involve my girlfriend in any more of this – this _nonsense_.'

'Malfoy, we made a deal,' Harry warned, raising his hand in an attempt to calm Malfoy.

'You can take your fucking deal and stick it up your arse, Potter – I didn't sign up for this!'

Hermione was the only one who managed to get near enough to the man to try and make him see reason. She was beginning to panic at the state he was in, along with the fact he was point blank refusing to look at his father.

'Draco, what has happened, you can't just –'

'She couldn't deal with the stress of it all and no wonder! She didn't deal with half of the crap that we did when we were younger, she just couldn't handle it …'

Draco seemed to shut off for a second and the trio could not help but notice his father looking particularly uncomfortable.

'What couldn't she handle? Is Astoria …?'

'She miscarried.'

Silence. The entire ward could have heard a pin drop and it would have sounded like an explosion. Hermione's hand was over her mouth and Harry and Ginny were gripping each other's hands. Draco looked broken, but the rage continued to consume him.

'We were going to have a child … I didn't even know, she didn't tell me. But this was all too much. She lost the baby this morning. It was a girl –'

He broke off halfway through the sentence and turned from the group, unable to continue speaking at all. Ginny looked unbelievably pale and glanced at her fiancé, who was barely able to control his own emotions. Hermione, on the other hand, was watching Lucius Malfoy with confusion in her eyes. What on earth did _he_ have to do with this?

'I'm taking her to France. To recover. Don't try to contact us because we will not reply. Deal with this shit storm yourselves. I'm done.'

And with that the man turned on his heel and swept from the ward, not bothering to give a goodbye or even look in the direction of his companions. They all watched him go and not a word was said by anyone – what could they say?

Lucius was the only one who looked like he wished to strike up a conversation, but the issue was that it was obvious he only wanted to speak to Hermione. Ginny seemed to pick up the signs before anyone else and pulled Harry away from the couple, whilst he himself continued to stare off into space as he came to terms with what had just happened. Hermione turned to her boyfriend, her face the epitome of sadness. She folded her arms across her chest.

'Tell me.'

He simply ran a hand through his hair, unable to look at her for a few moments as he composed himself. Finally – after some effort – he spoke.

'Astoria discovered who it is that's behind the attacks. It _is_ logical, seeing as they were planned so ineptly …'

'Lucius, who is it?'

'We don't know for certain. Let me make that clear. This is only the word of Astoria, who has been through some serious trauma –'

'I would take Astoria's word over the majority of my acquaintances,' Hermione spat back at him, her eyes flashing, 'Tell me the bloody name, Lucius!'

'Alright … she thinks it's Alecto Carrow.'

Hermione barely had time to express her shock before the door to the ward opened once again, admitting Harry and – very surprisingly – Ron. Both of them were looking extremely troubled.

'Oh, Ron, you heard?' Hermione asked, rushing towards them as Lucius followed.

'I heard, alright,' he replied darkly, his eyebrows furrowing, 'But that's not why I'm here. There's been another attack, Hermione. In Hogsmeade.'

For about the third time that day, Hermione could feel her stomach dropping.

'Oh, no. Aberforth.'

'He's fine. Thank Merlin, because I couldn't deal with that right now.'

'Then, what -'

'They burned the Hog's Head to the ground. There's nothing left. I don't know whether they intended to burn it down with Aberforth inside or whether they did it to send a message. Either way, we heard it – loud and clear.'

It was Lucius who felt the need to speak next.

'Damn it all, Weasley, surely this time someone was spotted!?'

'We think so,' interrupted Harry, raising a hand between the two men before Ron retaliated, 'And it seems to support Astoria's theory – Aberforth says he saw Alecto Carrow as well.'

'Well, there you are!' Hermione exclaimed, turning to Lucius with an unamused expression on her face, 'Now we _know_ she's telling the truth.'

'I never once said she was lying,' Lucius replied, trying to defend himself.

'Enough of this,' Ron said, sounding irritating and rolling his eyes, 'We've got work that needs doing. The main reason I came was to say that we're going to have to cancel the charity match, Hermione –'

'What!? No, you –'

' _Don't_ argue with me! We need all the security we can get right now and having thousands of wizards congregating at the same place and the same time is an accident waiting to happen. Sorry, but we just can't do it.'

Hermione huffed, folding her arms and refusing to look at any of them. She wasn't sure why she was so angry (although it could be a mix of having her event cancelled as well as the horrible news she had been given by Draco). Nonetheless, she found herself walking away from the group, ignoring Lucius as he attempted to touch her shoulder.

'Not now,' she said to him, sniffling, 'I just need some time to myself for a while.'

And she left her boyfriend standing alone in the ward, as Harry and Ron decided to head back to the Ministry.

Lucius found his body unconsciously finding the nearest chair and throwing itself into it. He put his head in his hands … what a mess.


	45. Chapter 45

45.

 _29_ _th_ _May 2002. Number 12, Grimmauld Place. London._

 _'I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword?_ Where? _'_

 _Hermione could feel the deranged woman standing directly above her, wand poised and prepared to dish out another dose of pain upon her. She could barely think, or breathe, because she was in so much agony, but she knew she had to save Harry and Ron if nothing else._

 _'We found it,' she managed to get out, tears streaming down her face as she choked on her words, 'we found it – PLEASE!'_

 _And then she was screaming again, as one thousand hot knives stabbed her continuously … Hermione understood now that this was the Cruciatus curse and realised just how much she had underestimated the power of Dark magic._

 _The pain stopped all of a sudden and Hermione desperately tried to catch her breath as Bellatrix paced the room, her eyes manic. Nevertheless, this gave her enough time to come up with a plan – if she could only get them to believe the sword was a fake, she might just get herself out of this._

 _Her eyes swept across the room, noting that there were very few other people in her presence. She only saw the Malfoy family, who were completely noticeable from their bright blonde hair. Draco and Narcissa were not looking at her at all, but huddled together by the fireplace, gripping each other as if their lives depended on it. The eldest Malfoy was staring._

 _He did not stare as he had before – with excitement at the prospect that they may finally regain Voldemort's trust – but Hermione was almost certain that he was staring in disgust, with revulsion … knowing him it was probably more to do with a Mudblood sullying his floor than the fact that she was being tortured._

 _Her reprieve lasted only a few more seconds. Bellatrix rounded on her again._

 _'You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth,_ tell the truth!'

 _Hermione could not hold back the scream that tore her apart from the inside as the torment returned. She thought she could hear another voice alongside hers screaming too, but she couldn't be sure. The pain stopped momentarily whilst Bellatrix growled, her face merely inches from Hermione's own._

 _'What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!'_

 _Almost instantly she felt the knife in question being pressed against her bare throat and Hermione could barely see through the tears that were building up in her eyes. She felt it cutting deeper and deeper into her skin before it broke slightly and she began to whimper, fearing that Bellatrix had, at last, decided that she was disposable._

 _The woman stood up again, barely taking notice of the blood that stained the knife she held and she began to scream curses at her._

 _Hermione followed suit – her body would not last through much more of this, as her muscles began to seize up horribly and her head felt like it would burst with the pain._

 _'What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME!_ CRUCIO!'

 _She felt her cries echoing around the walls but she did not stop, as though that was the only way she would ever be able to get rid of the despair she felt at this moment. Hermione had never prepared herself properly for the possibility that she might die in here – maybe now would be a good time …_

 _'How did you get into my vault?' Bellatrix screamed at her, stopping her assault on Hermione's body to get a sensible answer from her, 'Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?'_

 _Hermione could barely speak, her voice was hoarse, but she had to make it clear._

 _'We only met him tonight,' she sobbed, as the tears refused to stop appearing, 'We've never been inside your vault … it isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!'_

 _She heard Bellatrix and her brother-in-law quickly conversing and took the opportunity to breathe deeply again. Her chest felt like it had been sat on by Grawp and her eyes were fuzzy – she couldn't see properly. Someone had left the room._

 _Narcissa had not turned from the fireplace once. It looked as if she might have been covering her ears, but Hermione couldn't be sure. Bellatrix had taken to pacing the room again, not looking any calmer than she had a few minutes before. Lucius was still watching her, his eyes unreadable._

 _Someone was coming back into the room, dragging something else along behind them. She saw a flash of white blonde hair and realised it was Draco and he was carrying what looked like Griphook the goblin. Hermione felt the fear rising like a crescendo inside of her as she recognised the danger they would be in if he disagreed._

 _But Hermione would never find out. Just as the goblin looked set to give an answer, Bellatrix had thrown herself on top of her body and began to carve her already bloody knife into her skin. Hermione could not think anymore, she could not see – the pain and horror of what she felt was the last thing she would remember before –_

'Hermione, Hermione! Wake up!'

 _Why could she no longer feel any pain? Bellatrix was still on top of her feebly moving body … but the room was dissolving._

'Hermione, it's alright, my darling – I'm here, I'm here …'

She awoke suddenly in a familiar livingroom, lying on the floor next to a sofa. She was drenched in her own sweat and tears, and didn't immediately see that there was someone kneeling beside her.

She reacted without thinking – at the sight of his white blonde hair, Hermione recoiled, scarpering away from him onto the couch.

Lucius looked up at her from the floor, slightly hurt and confused, but he nonetheless continued to ask if she was alright.

Reality kicked in. Hermione knew that there was nothing to fear. It was Lucius Malfoy. The man in her dream bore no similarity to the man kneeling in front of her right now.

She attempted to gather what breath she had.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,' she gasped, blinking the tears from her eyes as she tried not to look at him, 'It was just a dream. I thought you were –'

'You were having one of your nightmares, I know,' Lucius replied, his lips pursed as he hesitantly moved closer towards her, 'I apologise. I came to the house without asking permission. I have not seen you for two days and I was getting worried.'

'Don't be. I'm perfectly alright.'

'You don't look it,' he asserted, sitting next to her on the couch, 'You were dreaming about that day, weren't you?'

Hermione tried to block the images of her nightmare appearing again and shook her head.

'It's nothing, it's not too bad –'

'Don't lie to me, Hermione. You were thrashing around on the floor and screaming your lungs out. It's a wonder the entire street didn't hear you.'

She felt her face going red with embarrassment but he rested his hand over hers.

'There is nothing to be ashamed of. We have spoken of this before. Just tell me, Hermione, tell me what has brought this on.'

She found the courage to look into his eyes and began to calm herself. He was so concerned for her that it was almost heart-breaking.

'It's just all this business with Neville. I know he's going to be alright but it just made me think about everything we went through before and … well, who's to say it won't happen again?'

Lucius frowned at her, even if he was stroking her hand tenderly.

'So you have holed yourself up, in this vile excuse for a house, and worried yourself silly over something that is not going to happen again. Hermione, you must talk to me about these things.'

'How can I? I know what you will say. I'm just so worried. I can't face going through that again, and I have so much more to lose now.'

Lucius pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

'Do not fret, my dear,' he soothed, kissing her forehead, 'I would destroy anyone, man or woman, that attempted to take you from me. And as much as I never thought I would say it, your family are now my own – I will protect them to the best of my ability.'

Hermione could feel herself beginning to cry again and sniffled whilst the man holding her simply chuckled.

'Do not live in fear, Hermione. I have and it almost killed me - you have friends and family and infinitely better prospects than you had four years ago. There is no use in worrying.'

'Why do you always know the right things to say, Lucius?' she asked, looking up at him with a smile.

'Darling, that is practically my job.'

She laughed lightly and pulled herself from him, wiping her eyes with the back of her jumper. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea staying in this house by herself – some human contact had done her the world of good, and Lucius had only been here five minutes.

She listened to hear if there was anyone else in the house, but by the sounds of things both Harry and Ron were still at work.

'I can't remember the last time I showered,' Hermione chuckled, running her fingers through her hair, 'I should really go and have one.'

'Without me?' Lucius asked suggestively.

' _Yes,_ without you. I'm going to get myself ready and go back up to St Mungo's. See how Neville is getting on.'

'Well, if you had paid any attention to the owls you have received over the past couple of days, you would know that he is well on the mend,' Lucius replied, smirking at the surprise on her face, 'Your friends have been to see him and he appears to be in good spirits. His job with the Auror office, on the other hand, does not look so promising.'

'Well, is it any wonder? I certainly wouldn't blame him if he didn't go back.'

'Nor I, my dear. But it is my firm belief that something needs to be done about Carrow – and soon.'

Hermione didn't particularly want to think about that right now and grimaced.

'I know,' she said with a sigh, 'But until we have more information there's nothing much we can achieve yet, is there?'

He didn't reply. There was a small silence as Lucius looked at his watch but his girlfriend, however, had a sudden thought. She scanned his face for a reaction.

'Have you heard from Draco yet?'

His eyes snapped up from his watch and she gazed as his face became mysteriously blank again. She was not surprised.

'No. I have not,' he muttered.

'And are you planning on telling me what happened –'

'No.'

'But -'

' _Not_ now, Hermione. Please _._ '

She sniffed a little in reply, feeling a bit put out.

'You _are_ going to tell me eventually.'

'I am aware of that. But not now.'

The conversation was most certainly over. Hermione refrained from sighing again, so instead decided to get herself organised. Before she could leave the room, however, Lucius had reached out for her hand.

'Seeing as the match has been cancelled and we have taken a few days off work –'

' _We?'_

'Don't interrupt me, my dear. How would you like to go out for dinner this evening? My treat. We can have some time for ourselves. Focus on us, as you so delightfully put it a few days ago.'

His eyes sparkled with mirth. Hermione knew that he was mainly doing this to take her mind off of recent events, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

'That sounds lovely,' she replied with a smirk, as she removed her hand from his and pulled her wand from her jeans pocket, 'Shall I wear my blue dress again?'

'That would be productive.'

'Productive?' she repeated, looking confused as she headed towards the door.

Lucius began to pull on his leather gloves.

'Of course, darling. Much easier access for me when we get back to the manor, you understand.'

He just managed to dodge the hex that flew at him from the doorway.


	46. Chapter 46

_2_ _nd_ _June 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole._

There was a calmness and tranquillity that surrounded the Burrow at this time of year which didn't happen during any other. The sun was shining beautifully, sunflowers were abundant in Mrs. Weasley's garden and a wonderful smell of freshly mown grass mingled with the aroma of Sunday dinner coming from the kitchen window. This was Harry's haven and although he would never admit as much to Ginny, this is exactly the kind of place where he would want to raise his children.

The house was bustling behind him as preparations were being made for the visitors. A large party was expected today – which, in truth, wasn't much different from a normal Sunday – nevertheless, everyone seemed to be slightly more on edge than usual. Mrs. Weasley was barking orders with more severity, Percy and Ron seemed rather subdued and even Mr. Weasley looked more harassed than they had ever seen him. Harry had no doubts as to why this was.

'We can't _not_ invite him,' he had tried to explain on Friday evening, to the stony faces of his fiancé and her brothers, 'Everyone else is coming. And you know Hermione would take it personally if we didn't.'

Contrary to what Harry believed, Hermione was currently in the midst of regretting that she had ever agreed to this. She and Lucius had apparated not moments ago and landed on the outskirts of the Burrow. Her stomach was doing flips as she looked to her boyfriend, whose face was completely expressionless. She could hear small amounts of chatter in the distance, the knocking of plates and pans and although her senses told her she was in a safe, happy environment, the feeling in her gut said otherwise.

'We could always go back, you know,' she said again for the one hundredth time, looking at Lucius to gage his reaction, 'You don't have to do this. I can make excuses …'

Hermione trailed off slightly as he turned to give her a look, one that told her instantly that there was no point in bringing this up again. He sniffed slightly and pulled back his shoulders, becoming even more poised and regal than he already was.

'Let's not delay it any longer. If we must do it, let it be now.'

She nodded back at him uncertainly and they both began to make their way towards the front gate. Hermione noticed that the table had already been set outside and counted sixteen chairs around it. The whole family must be coming then, she realised, and this did nothing to help her nerves.

It's not that she didn't trust Lucius or the Weasleys, she thought, as the former opened the gate for her to pass through. She had just never put them all in a room together to see what would happen. His brief encounters with Harry, Ron, Ginny and George were always civil but she was pretty sure he had never met any of their partners – or Charlie for that matter. There was a sense of dread that consumed her as she couldn't help but think this was all going to go horribly wrong.

'Merlin, I hope they're not all in the same room,' she pleaded to herself, feeling her nerves building as they reached the front door, 'Just not all of them at once.'

The couple unconsciously stopped just before the entrance, neither of them particularly wanting to chap on the door. Hermione could feel her hands getting sweaty but she honestly could not bring herself to move. She heard Lucius shifting beside her uncomfortably.

'So much for Gryffindor courage,' he joked scathingly and despite herself she let out a small laugh. So long as he kept a similar attitude inside, things might not be so bad.

Suddenly, they both turned as they heard footsteps coming over the garden, and Hermione groaned internally as she saw who it was.

Arthur Weasley had obviously been tinkering away in his shed again and the family were all aware of what that meant. When the man had too much on his mind, that was where he retreated – and by the look on his face he hadn't been in there for very long, as he still appeared to be concerned about something. He had seen them before they had seen him and Hermione noted that he plastered a smile on his face with extreme effort. She only hoped Lucius could do the same.

'Ah, Hermione, Lucius, lovely to see you,' Mr. Weasley greeted, coming to stand beside them at the front door, 'Glad you could make it.'

He reached out to hug Hermione, which she returned gratefully, but seemed to hesitate slightly as he looked upon her boyfriend.

Lucius seemed to come out of some trance and cleared his throat loudly. Throwing back his cloak, he produced a bottle of wine from underneath it, holding it in his left hand as he raised his right.

'Arthur,' he greeted in return, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand, 'Thank you for the invitation. Hermione and I are, er, delighted to be here.'

Mr. Weasley's eyebrows rose ever so slightly as he shook the elder Malfoy's hand and Hermione could tell he was surprised. She was looking between the two stupidly, unconsciously wringing her hands together. She nudged Lucius a little to remind him to pass on their gift.

'Ah,' he remembered, handing over the bottle to Arthur, 'Yes, for you and your good wife.'

'Well … thank you,' the other man replied, taking the bottle and smiling a little, 'Very kind of you. Please, please, come inside.'

Mr. Weasley turned and led the way into the house. Hermione and Lucius looked at each other for a second before following him, Hermione's heart beating more steadily than it had before. The worst was over, she supposed, but then again Arthur was an adult – the other boys in this house may technically be mature but that didn't mean that they acted like it.

The first place they entered was the kitchen, and Hermione was bracing herself for another awkward situation. Ginny, Parvati, Audrey, Ron and Bill were all bustling around, completing different tasks under the instruction of the matriarch. The latter was looking rather flustered as she watched over four different pots that were boiling over the stove. She was still shouting instructions to those around her.

'Ginny, for heaven's sake, there are sixteen of us, it isn't that difficult to count cutlery! Parvati, dear, watch what you're doing with those parsnips or they will end up on the floor. Ron ... Ron! RON.'

'What is it now?' the younger son muttered, his face getting redder by the second. He ambled over to see his mother and in the process he was the first to notice that Hermione and Lucius were on the scene. He nodded to them and waved.

'I'd get out of here if you value your life –'

'RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY.'

'Seriously, just go,' he added, walking towards his mother and trying obviously not to roll his eyes at her.

'Hello, Hermione … Lucius,' Molly said, barely having the time to look at them as she was so frazzled, 'Please go and take a seat in the sitting room. Harry or Charlie will sort you with drinks – RON!'

' _What!?_ '

Hermione thought it best to take her friend's advice and took Lucius by the arm, steering him towards the room that led out to the back garden. She could tell that, although Lucius was not at home here in the slightest, he was genuinely curious about the contents of the house and secretly she was just thankful that he wasn't gazing at anything in disgust.

'Come on,' she chuckled, pulling him away from the clock Mrs. Weasley kept on her wall. With a sad smile Hermione noticed Fred's face peering out from one of the hands … but it wouldn't do to dwell on that now.

They entered the living room and were greeted by a much calmer scene. Fleur was sitting on an arm chair with little Victoire on her knee. The young girl was clapping slightly as her mother sang to her, occasionally letting out a tiny laugh that made Hermione grin too – she was the most beautiful little girl, who couldn't help but bring light to any room.

Harry was sitting on the couch with Charlie and Arthur, all of them with drinks in their hands and having a lively discussion. That stopped almost as soon as the couple had entered the room.

'Hermione! Hi,' Harry said, getting off the couch to give his best friend a hug, 'And Lucius, how are you?'

'Very well, Potter, thank you,' Lucius replied, shaking the man's hand and bowing his head slightly.

'I see we're not the last ones to arrive?' Hermione commented, noticing the absence of George and Angelina.

'We're not sure if George and Angelina are actually going to turn up,' Harry whispered to her, out of earshot of everyone else, 'I'll explain in a bit.'

Hermione couldn't help but feel her stomach drop as she realised what that probably meant. She smiled at Lucius, however, who was looking rather out of place standing next to the fireplace. It was then that she noticed Charlie taking it upon himself to stand next to him and she had to bite her lip to stop from giggling at the look on his face.

'Oof!'

She let out a grunt as she felt something small and speedy bumping into her leg and grinned as she looked down to see Victoire's little blonde head smiling up at her. Reaching down to pick the young girl up, she couldn't help but notice the sly smirk that Fleur was sending her way. Hermione rolled her eyes.

'Has your mummy sent you over to torment me?'

Victoire giggled when Hermione tickled her sides gently as she held her. Fleur walked over, looking radiant as ever and took her daughter back.

'Victoire, what do we say to Aunt Hermione?'

The little girl blew a small raspberry in reply and Hermione let out a laugh before leaning in to give Fleur a hug.

'What is that look for?' she asked, noticing that the woman had not removed the smirk from her face and kept returning her gaze to Lucius. He was still standing beside the fire, having been cornered by Charlie, and had a drink forced into his hand. Hermione was glad he wasn't making faces anymore but he did look rather surprised about something.

Fleur shrugged lightly.

'He is a lot braver than I thought he was.'

Hermione smiled lightly. She could not but agree.

'I honestly didn't want to come today. I was scared out my of wits that something was going to go badly – someone would say the wrong thing and it would end in an argument. But it's looking more promising every second.'

Fleur winked at her before taking little Victoire quietly from the room. Judging by the hopping and the fuss the toddler was making, she needed to desperately visit the bathroom.

On the other side of the room, Lucius was feeling incredibly out of place. It was difficult enough being inside _this_ house with these people, but he felt somewhat worse when he realised they were all genuinely trying to make him comfortable. He didn't know what to make of it.

Charlie Weasley could obviously talk for England, he thought sarcastically, listening to the man rattle on about the dragons he tended to in Romania. It was a slight improvement on the discussion he could expect elsewhere, he supposed.

'And then there's Norberta, of course, but I expect Hermione has told you about her already –'

'Hermione?'

'Oh, yes. Didn't you know? Hermione, Ron and Harry were there when she was born, although she was known as Norbert then. Hagrid was determined to keep her, but there was no way he could look after it for more than a couple of weeks, it would get too big. Not to mention the fact he lives in a wooden hut –'

'My son had mentioned this, if I recall correctly. But I still do not completely understand Hermione's part in all of it?'

'Really, she didn't tell you?' Charlie asked, looking surprised, 'Although, I guess she didn't want _everyone_ to know the extent of her relations with dragons.'

Hermione took it upon herself to save her boyfriend from Charlie's clutches, who was chatting to him with an obvious glint of wickedness in his eye.

'I do hope you are not making Lucius uncomfortable, Mr. Weasley?'

'Me?' Charlie replied, feigning surprise, looking remarkably like Fred did in such situations, 'Absolutely not. Wouldn't dream of it. As a matter of fact we were just discussing you … remarkable how much Malfoy here doesn't know about you, Hermione. You and your _antics_.'

'Oh, do tell,' she replied, narrowing her eyes at him.

'Consorting with dragons, my dear? I would never have expected that,' Lucius told her slyly.

'Consorting is an understatement,' Harry interrupted suddenly, grinning as he realised the topic of conversation, 'I really think Hermione would be perfectly happy never seeing a dragon again.'

'Hasty, hasty,' said Charlie, looking wounded, 'You can never consort with _too_ many dragons.'

'Norbert was enough,' Hermione muttered, shaking her head, 'The Hungarian Horntail was plenty. But Gringotts …'

Lucius raised an eyebrow.

'So, that _was_ true? I have to admit I heard rumours …'

'Oh, yes,' said Harry gravely, 'And that's not even the most dangerous thing she's done either.'

'Yeah, Hermione, remember the Time Turner?' Charlie interrupted.

'Time Turner?' Lucius repeated, gazing at her with even more awe than usual.

'It was nothing, just for schoolwork …' she explained, beginning to blush.

' _Rubbish!_ ' Harry countered, laughing at the look on her face, 'You call being the only witch or wizard in the history of Hogwarts to have been given a Time Turner to complete extra classes _nothing_?'

'Like I said, nothing special.'

'I feel I must disagree with you,' Lucius replied, smirking a little as he looked at her, 'It appears I am only aware of the smallest measure of your talents. Please, Mr. Potter, enlighten me.'

'Well, there was first year, when she helped me pass through the enchantments for the Philosopher's Stone –'

'Yes, yes, she informed me of that.'

'Then in her second year when she discovered it was a basilisk that was attacking Muggleborns.'

Lucius appeared to feign deafness at this point and took a sip of his drink. Harry ignored it.

'Then in third year when we both used the Time Turner to save Sirius and Buckbeak –'

' _You two_ were the ones who rescued that bird? I knew there was no way it had escaped by its own means.'

'We wouldn't have _had_ to save Buckbeak if it weren't for your meddling,' Hermione interrupted, feeling a little put out about this conversation.

'Now, now, that thing _did_ attack my son, what was I supposed to have done?'

'YOU KNOW THAT'S NOT –'

'Come on, Hermione, give him a break,' Harry said, placing a hand on his arm to calm her and trying not to laugh again.

'My dear, I am simply expressing my amazement at all you have achieved at such a young age. It is quite remarkable.'

'It sounds more remarkable than it actually was.'

'Oh, Merlin, I'm having a flashback,' said Harry dramatically, clutching his head, 'I feel like it's seven years ago again when you told me _exactly the same thing_.'

Hermione just scowled at him, ignoring the laughs erupting from her friend and Charlie and even more so the smirk emanating from her boyfriend's face. She turned on her heel to get herself a drink, leaving the three men standing at the fireplace, marvelling at their victory.

'I had no clue, whatsoever …' Lucius muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

'You've no idea what she has accomplished, Malfoy,' Charlie explained, 'I don't know the half of it but what I do know is enough to make any wizard fall to his knees.'

Lucius choked on his drink slightly, giving Charlie a sharp look; the other man raised his hands in surrender.

'Didn't mean anything by it, mate. Just making sure you are aware of how lucky you have it. That woman is one in a billion.'

Charlie and Harry sauntered off to refill their drinks and Lucius was left to ponder everything that Potter and Weasley had just told him. Her achievements did not make him feel inadequate – no, he knew his own worth in that respect – but now, more than ever, he was realising just how incredible his girlfriend was.

A daunting task was before him, but he would have it no other way. He would dedicate the rest of his life to ensure he was worthy of her.


	47. Chapter 47

_2_ _nd_ _June 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole._

 _It was as if there had_ never _been any awkwardness between them_ , Hermione thought to herself as she watched Lucius making a gargantuan effort to listen to Arthur's new found fascination with VHS. The dinner table was groaning underneath the weight of Molly's dishes and plates, and there were a number of conversations echoing around the garden. She however could only hear the one taking place next to her, and it took all of her strength not to burst out laughing at the thought of what her boyfriend must be feeling.

'You would _think_ such a thing remarkably simple, but it really isn't,' Mr Weasley continued brightly, taking little note of the pained look on Lucius's face, 'When you actually open up the casing, it is quite unbelievable. And all without magic! I don't know how they do it –'

Hermione had no choice but to turn her head in the opposite direction and focus intently on the conversation between Harry, Ginny, Charlie and Ron. She wondered, whilst tucking into her chicken salad, whether Ginny actually took any interest whatsoever in anything other than Quidditch. They all knew how much she loved it, of course, but Hermione was forever having to feign interest each time Ginny gave her a play-by-play of the most recent team the Harpies had beaten.

'Hey,' Harry muttered to her under his breath, trying carefully not to interrupt his girlfriend, 'How's it going?'

She saw him nodding towards Lucius with a smirk and she simply chuckled.

'Fine, actually,' she replied, taking a sip of her wine, 'It seems to be going a lot better than I thought … I'm rather proud of you all.'

Harry snorted before taking another mouthful of his steak pie.

'We weren't going to be monsters, Hermione.'

'Only because you gave them all a stern talking to, no doubt.'

'I'm insulted,' he said mulishly, not meeting her eyes, 'I'll have you know they were all really good about it.'

Hermione frowned as she considered her words.

'I don't know. He just worries about it occasionally. I think he really believes that one day he's going to wake up and this will all have been a dream …'

Harry didn't need to ask her what she meant. He was well aware of what Lucius's stint in Azkaban had done to him and he had no desire to fish for any particulars.

'Well, you'll keep him right. I mean if you can't, who will?'

She gave her friend a small smile as he turned back to the Quidditch discussion, leaving her to ponder on her own.

Lucius, on the other hand, was looking for an escape from this dire lecture on Muggle devices, and Hermione was the only one who could provide it.

'Yes,' he interrupted Arthur rather suddenly, putting his hand on her shoulder, 'Hermione has shown me how to use one of those coffee-making contraptions. What are they called again, my dear?'

'Coffee makers,' she replied drily, barely able to contain her smirk.

'Quite. They are rather interesting, at any rate. Although, I must say it is much easier just to use magic –'

'Ah, yes, but that's it you see!' Mr Weasley said excitedly, waving his fork about, 'There is the beauty of it! It's _not_ easy in the slightest and yet look at how far they've come. Amazing, Muggles, amazing …'

The man trailed off after noticing his wife giving him a stern look from across the table and he cleared his throat loudly before turning to Bill. Lucius smirked as Hermione giggled into her hand and he turned to look at her properly.

'I think I'm doing rather well, don't you?'

Hermione nodded. 'I just said to Harry how incredibly proud I am of everyone. In some ways, you most of all.'

'Because I am the one most likely to cause trouble?' he asked her with a glint in his eye.

' _No_ ,' she replied with a tut, 'But you are in the midst of a number of people who hated your guts only a year ago.'

'Thank you for reminding me,' Lucius said scathingly, placing his knife and fork neatly upon his plate, 'I must say no one else here has mentioned anything apart from _you._ '

'They wouldn't, would they? Harry threatened to hex them if they did.'

They both smiled at each other fondly, but Hermione couldn't help but lean in with a sigh to add something else.

'I really am so thankful for this, Lucius. I promise that I will repay the favour one day … I know you haven't met my parents yet but the Weasleys are like a second family to me. It means a lot that you're willing to get to know them.'

'Repay the favour,' Lucius repeated, with a sarcastic laugh, 'Unfortunately, darling, ex-Death Eater meetings will be rather thin on the ground.'

'You already said that you weren't friends with any of them. Surely you had other people you were close with who weren't … involved in that capacity?'

'No,' he replied, shaking his head and not looking remotely embarrassed at the confession, 'I did not _have_ friends. Perhaps when I was at school, but soon after I stopped relying on other people for anything. It was one of the first things you learned to do under the Dark Lord's watch, I am afraid. There is not one person in that group who would have thought twice about throwing me under the bus.'

Hermione's eyes widened – but not for the reason he guessed.

' _Throwing you under the bus?_ You do realise that is a Muggle saying?'

Lucius's cheeks pinked ever so slightly – in a manner very scarily like his son – as he cleared his throat.

'I've heard you say it once or twice. I did not have an aneurysm trying to work out what you meant.'

Hermione could not help herself. Beaming, she leaned in to plant a kiss on the older man's cheek. He didn't necessarily appreciate it in the present company but he smiled at her all the same. He would take her kisses whenever he could get them.

All of a sudden, they saw Mrs Weasley stand bolt upright from her chair, as the tell-tale signs of apparition filled the air – someone else had arrived. The woman ran over to greet their new guests, leaving half a plate of food untouched behind her.

Hermione swivelled in her seat to get a look at who it was, and was surprised to see George and Angelina walking through the front gate, holding hands. She raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. She would never say anything to upset the Weasleys – or Lucius for that matter – but that did not mean she was going to greet them enthusiastically.

Lucius silently placed his hand over hers underneath the table, trying to calm her. She gave him a small smile in thanks, but shifted her eyes immediately back to the couple. They looked rather melancholy … too melancholy, as far as she was concerned.

 _Why on earth did they show up if they were so hell-bent on being miserable,_ she thought scathingly, working to keep a scowl from erupting on her face. It was then that she noticed Lucius watching the threesome with a funny look … even Mrs Weasley was looking rather sad now.

'What's going on?' Harry asked, jumping to his feet and walking around the table to meet them, 'George?'

'It's Neville, mate,' George replied, with a grim look, 'He's disappeared from the hospital. He left the ward a couple of hours ago without alerting anyone.'

Hermione could barely make out what George was saying over the shocked conversation that erupted around her, and she rose to her feet with a huff before joining Harry's side.

'- doesn't even know where he might be. She was getting a cup of tea with Hannah in the café and when they came back Neville had just gone.'

'Someone can't have taken him, surely not,' Harry muttered, his wand unconsciously sitting in his right hand as he paced, 'There's too much security at St. Mungo's now, we made sure of that. No one would have been able to get in, even if they were concealed.'

'Then how do we explain where he went?' Angelina asked him, her arms folded across her chest.

'He's obviously gone under his own steam,' Hermione surmised, talking only to Harry, 'We know that Neville was looking a lot better recently. Who's to say he didn't just take off because he was sick of being in the hospital?'

'And not tell his grandmother or his girlfriend?'

'You know they would never have let him. Everyone wants him to be 100% before he goes back into his job, or even back home. The healers wouldn't have kept him in for no reason.'

'No … there's something else. I'm missing something here, what is it?'

Hermione bit her lip, trying not to pay attention to the panic that was becoming apparent to everyone else. The only person who looked relatively calm was Lucius, who was standing on his own and looking off into the distance. She had seen him with that type of serious expression on his face before, but she had no time to brood over it.

'Harry, you don't think he's remembered something, do you?' she asked, her voice slightly higher than usual, 'Surely … I mean, he wouldn't be stupid enough to go off on his own, but what if his memory is beginning to come back about –'

'He would have told someone, Hermione!' her friend replied, looking even more agitated, 'It just makes no sense at all why he would go running off by himself.'

Hermione tried to reassure him but he shrugged her off, walking back to the house where he could get some peace. Ginny attempted to go after him but Hermione simply shook her head. At times like this he was better left to his own thoughts.

Ginny looked over her shoulder as something approached, and Hermione felt the warm hand of Lucius touch her shoulder and turn her around to face him. He looked more serious than she had ever remembered seeing him.

'Hermione … there's something I must do.'

Her eyebrows shot up instantly, not expecting him to make such a statement.

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, there's somewhere I need to go … I can't tell you at this very moment but you must trust me.'

'Lucius, of course I trust you but where on earth has this come from?' she asked him worriedly, grasping his right hand, 'There's nothing you can do right –'

'There is. And I must do it. For you, if nothing else.'

Hermione tried to reply but he stopped her with a small kiss. She kissed him back happily, but that did not stop the confusion and fear from running through her body.

'I'll be back as soon as I can. If I'm not back this time tomorrow, send word to Astoria.'

' _Astoria?'_ she repeated, watching as he walked away from her towards the gate, 'What about Draco?'

'You don't need to worry about Draco,' he said firmly, giving her hand a squeeze before he began to walk away from her. She was shaking slightly now.

'Lucius, you can't just leave –'

'Trust me!' he repeated and she saw the flick of his blonde head turning towards the gate before it vanished without a trace. He had apparated.

The shock on her face was mirrored in Ginny's and she heard a small whistle coming from behind her.

'Well, that was … odd,' Ron said, as he and Parvati stood next to them both with familiar expressions, 'You have no idea where -?'

'No!' Hermione said loudly, balling her hands into fists in her frustration, 'Of course I don't bloody well know where he's gone. How could I? That damned stubborn, secretive, selfish fu-'

'Alright, alright,' Ginny interrupted, patting her on the back, 'He wouldn't have left for nothing, Hermione. It's obviously very important – and must have something to do with Neville.'

'He said not to worry about Draco,' Hermione pondered, beginning to look like Harry as she paced the garden, 'What the hell could he mean by that? As far as I know they haven't spoken since that day in the hospital!'

'Families like that are weird, Hermione,' Ron commented, shrugging, 'They probably have arguments every other hour and then just pretend like they never happened. Maybe he's been in contact with him?'

She chose to ignore this statement. She saw Harry coming back out of the house, a determined look on his face that indicated to everyone else that he was in Auror mode.

'We cannot just sit here and do nothing,' he announced to them, taking care to project his voice around the garden so everyone could hear, 'We need to find him. I simply can't rule out the possibility of him having been captured again –'

'I don't think he's been kidnapped, mate,' Ron interjected, looking pale.

'Don't be thick, Ron, of course we have to consider –'

'He's _not_ been kidnapped because he's standing right bloody there!'

Over all the confusion and upset that George had caused with the announcement, no one had noticed another person appear on the outskirts of the Burrow. Ron however had been the first one to notice Neville limping in through the gate, looking pained and a lot worse for wear than he had a few days ago.

'Shit,' Harry mumbled as they all rushed towards their friend, each one of them with varying expressions of shock, anger and worry plastered over their faces. Neville just seemed to be annoyed with all the attention, swatting off the hands of Mrs Weasley and ignoring the appeals of everyone else until he found who he was looking for.

'Hermione, I need to talk to you. Now.'

Everyone's fussing ceased as they all turned to look at Hermione, who was gazing at Neville with blatant surprise.

'Harry, too,' Neville finished, his face set, 'Can we talk inside?'

Undeniably he had expected a ruckus to break out at his words - and he was right - so without saying a syllable he raised his wand into the air and fired two shots that sounded like cannon fire. Everyone was silent after that.

'I don't have time to argue right now, this is too important. Can you just bloody well move out of the way so I can speak to them alone!'

Mr Weasley was the only one who responded immediately, gesturing for them to use the living room. Harry and Hermione hurried after Neville, sharing a look that showed just how concerned they were about his wellbeing.

Firstly, he felt the need he had to ascertain that no one was listening in. After that, he turned to them both.

'Look, there's no reason why we can't tell everyone else what's going on, but I thought it best not to cause a riot. Harry, you need to know because … well, it's you. Hermione –'

He turned to her with a sore look on his face.

'I'm afraid Lucius is involved too.'


	48. Chapter 48

**A/N:**

 **Major, major apologies for the lack of updates. It's been a busy couple of months! Our story does not have long to go, however, so I will attempt to be more frequent from now on.**

 **In the meantime, thank you to every single one of you who has reviewed, favourited or followed this story. It means an awful lot.**

48.

 _2_ _nd_ _June 2002. The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole._

No one had a chance to reply as the back door flew open and Ron marched in, looking murderous.

'There is no way you are having this conversation without me. Like it or lump it.'

With that, he perched himself on the nearest chair and glared up at them all, making it quite obvious that Neville would have no choice in the matter. Harry was about to say something, but Neville just rolled his eyes and nodded in understanding.

Hermione found that her brain couldn't muster up any words at all. All she felt was an utter sense of dread take over her body. Harry looked at her and attempted to smile, but she couldn't even manage to return that. She knew that he was just as shocked as she was about Lucius, but the others at least were all impartial in this case. Usually she was the one being level-headed, but this time she was leaving it to her best friends.

'Tell us everything,' Harry stated, pointing towards the couches in the living room. Neville paid no attention to the gesture– he didn't feel much like sitting down right now.

'I'll try and be as quick as possible,' Neville began, 'Earlier today in St. Mungo's I was getting one of my usual treatments. Its purpose is just to get me to relax, to get my mind back in order after what happened – but this time was different. Scenes were popping into my head every few seconds, flashes of what had happened to me … you know, that day. I saw Carrow's face. Not for long as they all had them covered with their masks most of the time. I think it must have been to intimidate me. Not that it worked.

'Anyway, you can imagine my reaction. I didn't want to worry Hannah or Gran so I just brushed it off. But I took my chance when they left to get a cup of tea. One of the Healers was supposed to stay with me while they were away but I convinced him to go and look for the latest copy of the Quibbler. Lied, saying there was an important article I had missed. It was a bit too easy to get out, Harry, we might need to have a word with them about that.'

'Yeah, but that doesn't explain why you're in this state, Neville,' Ron rushed, eager for him to get to the point.

'Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, I decided to apparate back to the place where I had gone on that assignment. Just to check it out again, see if I could find the place they were hiding me –'

'Neville, do you _have_ a fucking death wish!?' Harry interrupted, looking furious, 'What were you thinking going back there alone, why didn't you come and get me?'

'I wasn't going to put you in any danger, Harry. It's you they're after anyway.'

'But –'

'Shut up, I'm almost there. It took me a good hour to search the place thoroughly enough. I put a Disillusionment charm on myself, just in case. But I found them.'

Hermione could barely draw breath, staring at Neville as if he had grown a second head. Harry finally asked what she had been thinking.

'What does this have to do with Lucius though?'

'Malfoy?' Ron interrupted, starting to feel his anger rise - Hermione beat him to it.

'Ronald, I would keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you! Neville, answer my question.'

'I'll get to that in a minute. As I said, I found them. I thought they would just be going over plans for their next move, or licking their wounds or something …'

Neville paused for a second, looking pained.

'I didn't fucking think they'd have Aberforth tied up in the front room, though.'

'WHAT?' Harry, Ron and Hermione screeched simultaneously, the colour draining from each of their faces as they realised what this meant.

'But … Nevillle … if you're here, and he's not …'

Their friend looked down at his feet, sniffling slightly. Ron looked like he was going to be sick.

'I couldn't get to him quick enough. The Death Eaters realised someone was intruding before … Aberforth was having a go at me anyway. Said I was stupid for coming back. He looked bad, Harry, really bad. They'd beaten him within an inch of his life, Crucio'd him as well by the look of it. He was dying. He told me. Said he'd known it for a few weeks. That he just didn't have much of a will to live anymore, what with the pub gone …'

He stopped again, wiping his eyes slightly. Hermione didn't bother to hide her own tears and neither did Ron.

'They had tied me up, deciding what to do with me. Pushed me around a bit – but as you've probably noticed they're not the smartest bunch. Only Alecto was ever part of Voldemort's first circle so the rest of them were nothing to worry about.

'They hadn't checked me for anything other than my wand. I had a small knife hidden inside my jacket. Guess they never thought I would carry around a Muggle weapon. But Aberforth was able to get it for me, his bonds were looser. He told me what to do as soon as I had the opportunity, just to apparate out of the place. I had to get out of the wards first though, but apparently they hadn't made a good job of them so I literally just jumped out of the window. He cut us both free, so I just assumed he was coming with me but –'

Harry clapped Neville on the shoulder, looking extremely solemn himself. The latter seemed to be trying to convince them that he had done everything he could. Hermione didn't doubt him.

'He caused a diversion. Sprang up out of the chair and ran through the front door and the lot of them just chased him. For such an old guy and considering the state he was in, boy he could run. Dodged loads of their curses. I wanted to go after him but the odds were 10:1 and I knew they wouldn't hesitate to get rid of us both. He didn't last much longer after I got out of the house – I … I think I saw a flash of green light before I apparated.'

Neville finally sunk into the sofa behind him, head in his hands. Hermione felt like her stomach was being twisted by two great, dirty hands and she could hardly focus. She felt ill.

Harry was the first one to pull himself together, forcefully wiping away the two tears he had allowed to fall from his eyes.

'Neville, mate, you did everything you could. They would have killed him anyway.'

'Dumbledore,' Hermione muttered suddenly, sniffing and attempting to control her trembling lip, 'Just like his brother. He went out on his own terms.'

Neville nodded slightly.

'He knew what he was doing, I get that now. Doesn't make me feel any better about the fact I abandoned him –'

'You didn't abandon him!' Ron nearly shouted at him, attempting to control himself.

'- but, yeah, I guess you're right. He was a good man, Aberforth. Seems like he didn't give your location up either, Harry.'

Harry just nodded at him, apparently trying to control his own emotions and Hermione watched as he began to pace again. As devastated as she was to hear about Aberforth, there was only one thing on her mind at the moment.

'Neville, you still haven't told me what Lucius has to do with this.'

Her heart was sitting in her throat – she only hoped and prayed to Merlin that he wasn't involved in the same capacity as he had been involved with the Death Eaters before. She shook her head slightly, scolding herself. Lucius wasn't like that anymore. She had to trust him.

'He isn't _involved_ in a bad way,' Neville began, sniffling still and wiping sweat from his brow, 'From what I could hear when I was captured, it seems they want the Malfoy family dead quite as much as they want you, Harry,'

'But, _why_!?' Hermione asked, feeling more panicked by the second, 'Why is it that these people want him so badly, what has he ever done to them!'

'Oh, Hermione, you're so dense sometimes!' Harry snapped, his arms folded across his chest, 'The Malfoys, in spite of the good they did for us towards the end, were still Voldemort's supporters for a very long time – and yet they aren't being hunted like the rest of them. It's obvious that the remaining Death Eaters want them dead because of their disloyalty, they were turncoats –'

Hermione attempted to interrupt, angrily, but it was Ron who cut her off this time.

'Come on, think about it! Think of how we felt about Pettigrew – well, that's how they see them. Traitors. You know he's right.'

Neville was nodding silently from his place on the sofa. Hermione groaned in frustration.

'Well regardless of that, Lucius disappearing on us so randomly just doesn't make sense! Why would he leave now? I don't get it!'

'What exactly did he say to you, Hermione?' Harry asked, looking curious.

'He kept telling me not to worry, that he was doing this for all of us and that I had to contact Astoria if he wasn't back this time tomorrow …'

'Astoria?'

'I know. I was confused too.'

Neville raised his head from his hands again as they all began to hear shouting from the back garden. Eyes wide, they all raced from the sitting room back to where they came from, listening as the voices got louder and louder …

'What the bloody hell is going on?' Ron said, as he marched up to where the family were huddled together near the apparition point. He did a double take, however, as he saw who was standing in the middle.

' _Astoria_!?' Hermione gasped, rushing forwards to take the hands of the woman who was currently sobbing into Mrs. Weasley's cardigan. The elder woman, looking rather confused but compassionate all the same, handed her over to Hermione who was almost knocked over with the force that Astoria had thrown herself on her.

'Astoria, what's going on? Why are you here?'

Harry, Ron and Neville were standing behind her, their faces also showing their confusion. They did not make any move to help their friend, however. Hermione rolled her eyes as she held on to the crying woman, tempted to give her a slap so she would calm down.

'That's right, Astoria, breathe … just breathe for me,' she soothed, rubbing her back, 'Come on, that's it … let's get you inside.'

With that she began to walk the younger girl back into the Burrow – closely followed by her three friends – while the remaining Weasley family looked on in awe. George snorted.

'Will this family ever be able to meet up without someone having a meltdown?'


End file.
